Posting IFS officers as rural development project directors will paralyse public services: PMK

PMK urges Tamil Nadu to withdraw IFS officers from DRDA posts

Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) president Anbumani Ramadoss has called on the Tamil Nadu government to revoke its decision to appoint Indian Forest Service (IFS) officers as project directors of the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA), warning that the move could severely impair essential public services in rural areas.

Mr. Ramadoss's appeal, reported by multiple outlets including Hindustan Times, India Today, and ThePrint, comes in response to a recent government order naming IFS officers to head DRDAs in Theni and Kanyakumari districts. The PMK leader, a former Union minister, argued that officers without prior experience in rural governance should not be put in charge of key rural development work.

In a statement, Mr. Ramadoss highlighted the critical role of the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department, saying it is second only to the Revenue Department in maintaining direct, daily contact with the public. He said the department is responsible for executing basic infrastructure projects including rural roads, bridges, housing, drinking water supply, and sanitation facilities, alongside welfare initiatives like the 100-day and 150-day employment guarantee schemes.

Mr. Ramadoss noted that DRDA project directors and Tamil Nadu State Rural Livelihood Mission directors serve as district-level heads for these programmes. "IFS officers have no relevant background or operational experience in handling rural administration. Appointing them to these roles will inevitably degrade the department's performance and jeopardise essential services for rural residents," he said.

The PMK chief pointed to the existing promotion structure within the rural development cadre, where officers recruited as junior assistants or assistants through the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) advance over decades to become Deputy Block Development Officers (DBDOs), Block Development Officers (BDOs), and Assistant Directors. Similarly, he added, group-1 officers directly recruited as assistant directors are promoted to joint directors, making them fully qualified to serve as DRDA project directors.

Mr. Ramadoss also drew a distinction with prior practice, noting that the state previously deployed IAS officers to such roles under the premise of training them for future district collector positions. Extending these postings to IFS officers, he said, is entirely unjustified. He warned that the appointment of officials without rural governance experience could create friction between departmental staff and the new directors, potentially paralysing administrative operations.

The PMK leader demanded that all DRDA project director posts be filled exclusively by promoting qualified officials from the rural development department, reiterating that this would protect rural welfare and departmental morale.

Perspectives

PMK President Anbumani Ramadoss: He urges the Tamil Nadu government to revoke the order appointing IFS officers as DRDA project directors in Theni and Kanyakumari. He warns that officers without rural governance experience would impair essential rural services, degrade departmental performance, and create friction, and demands that all such posts be filled only by promoting qualified rural development department officials.