State - September 25, 2025

Senior IAS Officer Beela Venkatesan Passes Away at 55 in Chennai

team maverick September 25, 2025

0 3 min read

Chennai, Sept 2025 : Senior IAS officer Beela Venkatesan, Secretary of the Tamil Nadu Energy Department, passed away at her residence in Chennai on Wednesday. She was 55 and is survived by her mother and two daughters.

According to family members, she had been on long medical leave and undergoing treatment for an illness over the past three months.

A 1997-batch IAS officer, Dr. Venkatesan was the daughter of former DGP L.N. Venkatesan and former legislator Rani Venkatesan. A native of Kanniyakumari district, she was also a qualified doctor. She began her career in Bihar, later moved to Tamil Nadu, and also served in Jharkhand during her early postings.

Throughout her career, she held several key administrative roles, including Special Officer in the Chief Minister’s Special Cell, and positions in the Directorate of Social Welfare, Departments of Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare, Fisheries, Commercial Taxes and Registration, Handlooms and Textiles, and Revenue and Disaster Management. She rose to prominence as one of the officers who steered Tamil Nadu’s Health Department during the COVID-19 pandemic, when her leadership was widely acknowledged.

Condolences poured in from across the state. Governor R.N. Ravi, in a message posted through Raj Bhavan, described her as a “devoted public servant whose compassionate leadership and sharp administrative skills profoundly impacted countless lives—most notably during her tenure as Health Secretary in the challenging pandemic years.”

Chief Minister M.K. Stalin expressed shock at her passing and recalled her dedicated service across various departments. He specifically acknowledged her crucial role during the COVID-19 crisis.

Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K. Selvaperunthagai also mourned her demise, highlighting her contributions to public health during the pandemic, and extended condolences to her mother, Rani Venkatesan, and her family.

The final rites of Dr. Beela Venkatesan will be performed in Chennai on Thursday after 3 p.m.