Drop IFS officers from rural development posts: NDA ally leader to Tamil Nadu govt

PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss, whose party is a part of NDA, has demanded the Tamil Nadu government to revoke the posting of IFS officers as District Rural Development Agency project directors. He said the move could weaken rural administration, disrupt village services and demoralise the department cadre.PMK chief Anbumani Ramadoss (L) and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay (R). (Photo: PTI)PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss on Sunday urged the Tamil Nadu government to withdraw its decision to appoint Indian Forest Service officers as project directors of the District Rural Development Agency. In a statement, he objected to the recent government order naming IFS officers to head DRDAs in Theni and Kanyakumari districts.He said officers without prior experience in rural governance should not be put in charge of key rural development work, and warned that the move could affect essential public services in villages. He also asked the government to fill all DRDA project director posts only by promoting qualified officials from the Rural Development Department.Highlighting the role of the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department, Anbumani said it is second only to the Revenue Department in having direct daily contact with the public. "The department is responsible for executing crucial basic infrastructure projects including rural roads, bridges, housing, drinking water supply, and sanitation facilities alongside key welfare initiatives like the 100-day and 150-day employment guarantee schemes," he said.He said DRDA project directors and Tamil Nadu State Rural Livelihood Mission directors function 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," the former Union Minister said. Anbumani said the rural development cadre already has a clear promotion structure. "Officers recruited as junior assistants or assistants through the TNPSC advance over decades to become Deputy Block Development Officers (DBDOs), Block Development Officers (BDOs), and Assistant Directors," he said.He added, "Similarly, group-1 officers directly recruited as assistant directors are promoted to joint directors, making them fully qualified to serve as DRDA project directors with deep ground-level experience." He said the state government had earlier posted IAS officers on the grounds of training them for future district collector roles, but added, "Extending these postings to IFS officers is entirely unjustified." He also warned that the move could create friction between departmental staff and non-cadre project directors and could affect administration. Reiterating his demand, he said the government should protect rural welfare and the morale of department staff by appointing only eligible rural development officials to these posts.- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Aug 23, 2026 12:21 IST