Chennai: With Finance Minister O Panneerselvam returning on Wednesday to the secretariat, after days of vigil at Apollo Hospitals, where Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa is admitted, it was business as-usual in the state secretariat on Thursday as several ministers held review meetings of their departments.

While administrators and government employees, baring a few, discharged their duties at the secretariat, most ministers were camped at Apollo Hospitals, till Governor Vidyasagar Rao allocated the chief minister’s additional portfolios Panneerselvam.

At present, Panneerselvam, who handles finance, planning, legislative assembly elections, and passports personnel and administrative reforms training, will also look after public, Indian Administrative Service, Indian Police Service, Indian Forest Service, general administration, District Revenue Officers, Police and Home, which were handled by Jayalalithaa. He was the first to return yesterday to the secretariat to look into pending files.

This morning, Minister for Co-operation Sellur K Raju reviewed the state government’s recent announcement of loan waiving-scheme for farmers. As the festival season approaches, the minister also monitored the stock situation of ration shops across the state.

Similarly, minister for housing and urban development Udumalai Radhakrishnan also chaired a meeting and instructed the concerned officials of his department to monitor the construction of houses under Central government schemes.

In addition, the transport department also made an announcement that a complaint could be lodged with authorities if contract buses or carriages in Tamil Nadu demand excess fare during Diwali.

The announcement on bonuses, which was made by the chief minister on September 28, was the major communication from the secretariat.