Chennai: Chief Minister Vijay has instructed ministers and alliance partners not to make or bring recommendations for appointments to chairperson posts in various state boards and commissions functioning under Tamil Nadu government departments.
A range of bodies operate under different departments, including the Tamil Nadu Real Estate Regulatory Authority, State Information Commission, Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission, the Tamil Nadu Women’s Development Commission, and the State Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Boards such as the Fire and Rescue Services Commission, the Uniformed Services Recruitment Board, the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission, and the Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board are also among those cited.
According to government sources, some commissions function independently, while others oversee departmental work, grant approvals for certain activities, and assist people affected by departmental actions. The sources said that in previous regimes—both DMK and AIADMK—appointments to these bodies were often influenced by political recommendations, affecting their independence.
Following the change in government, the state has issued orders seeking resignations from chairpersons, board heads and members appointed during the previous administration, and many have stepped down. As the government moves to appoint new heads and members, alliance parties—including Congress, Left parties and VCK—are said to have conveyed recommendations through a senior minister, which the Chief Minister has reportedly blocked.
Officials said a senior bureaucrat briefed the Chief Minister on the importance of these institutions and their functioning, after which Vijay directed that honest and capable individuals be appointed. The Chief Minister’s side has conveyed a clear message to alliance leaders and ministers: no recommendations should be made for these posts, and no one should approach seeking such recommendations.
