Chennai: Complaints have surfaced that several government officials who were transferred are attempting to regain their previous postings, even after the change of government.
Tamil Nadu has 41 government departments, where periodic transfers are typically carried out to move staff who have served in the same place for long periods. The report notes that in earlier DMK and AIADMK administrations, some transferred officials returned to the same stations through recommendations from ministers, MLAs and party functionaries.
After the T.Ve.K. government assumed office, transfers were issued across multiple departments—from senior IAS officers to office assistants—covering areas such as Rural Development, Water Resources, Public Works, Municipal Administration, Revenue, Agriculture and Highways. However, in several departments, many of those transferred have reportedly not yet joined their new assignments.
The report cites instances in the Public Works Department, where 23 supervising engineers were transferred last month and instructed by the department secretary to take charge for administrative reasons, but several are said to have not reported. Similar claims have been made in the Water Resources Department, where engineers allegedly went on leave instead of joining and are now trying to return to their earlier postings.
Secretariat staff sources quoted in the report allege that some are seeking to get transfer orders cancelled by approaching influential persons, and raise suspicions that disciplinary action under service rules is not being pursued in certain cases. They also warn that if posts remain vacant for long, the Finance Department may withdraw them, reducing sanctioned strength, and urge swift action to prevent a repeat of past incidents in the PWD and Water Resources departments.
