The Tamil Nadu government has ordered its directorates and head offices to identify employees who have remained in the same posting for five years or longer, a move that could lead to transfers aimed at strengthening administrative accountability.
According to a report by Dinamalar, the government has asked departments to collect complete details of employees serving as administrative officers, junior administrative officers, office superintendents and assistants. The information must be submitted by September 23.
The order covers employees who have continued in the same location for periods ranging from five years to more than 10 years. The government’s reported focus is on identifying long-serving personnel within key administrative positions and reviewing whether they should continue in their current postings.
The move addresses a recurring issue in public administration: employees who are transferred after promotion but return to their previous location within a short period. The report said some employees come back through administrative arrangements or temporary transfers, despite being posted to another town after promotion.
Dinamalar reported that the government believes prolonged service in one location can create administrative difficulties. Officials who remain in the same post for many years may become closely connected with local residents, contractors and other stakeholders, according to the report. The government considers such relationships a potential risk for irregularities and corruption.
The proposed review therefore links staff rotation with the way government offices function at the local level. Administrative offices often process public applications, manage official records, oversee contracts and coordinate the delivery of departmental services. The government’s stated concern is that extended continuity in one location can reduce internal checks and make it harder to introduce new administrative practices.
The reported order does not itself announce a completed transfer exercise. Instead, it begins with the collection of service and posting details from departments under the state government. The information will allow the administration to identify employees who have remained in one place for five years, 10 years or longer before deciding on further action.
The report said the government has decided to take steps to transfer employees who have served in the same location for extended periods. It did not provide a department-wise number of affected employees, the proposed transfer schedule or details of any exemptions. Those details are expected to depend on the information submitted by the departments.
The September 23 deadline is the immediate administrative milestone in the process. Departments and head offices must compile and submit the requested information before the government can determine the scale of the proposed posting review.
