Rama Dutta, the current chief secretary to Tamil Nadu, would not elaborate on the timing of the announcement.

The news broke as Mr Modi was in the city for a three-day visit.

After the meeting with Mr Dutta, Mr Modi took time out to address the media.

He then met his Tamil Nadu counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan and thanked him for working closely with him.

“My meeting with Pinarayi is to congratulate him for achieving the task of clean air and good governance for the people of Tamil Nadu, which was one of the pillars that the country stood for,” commented Mr Modi, adding that the country would never forget the help and friendship it extended to Tamil Nadu.

The Prime Minister referred to the “great achievements” in the development of the country and also said “it is necessary that we take advantage of this glorious era and develop in the new era”.

His comments came in the wake of an international tribunal ruling in favour of Mr Dutta. A bench of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) in New York ruled in favour of Mr Dutta, following a complaint filed by a local activist.

The United Nations International Court of Justice (ICJ) said that Tamil Nadu’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr Dasiyanath, was no longer entitled to practise as a doctor after he took his oath of office on June 6, 2011.

In a statement, the Prime Minister said, “The decision of the international tribunal is of immense comfort to the people of Tamil Nadu”.

With inputs from agencies