Chennai, Oct 21:
The Tamil Nadu Government has extended the tenure of special officers administering rural local bodies in 28 districts by another six months until April 19, 2027.
It has also appointed special officers to administer rural local bodies in nine other districts where the terms of elected representatives ended on October 19.
The government issued orders appointing special officers for six months, from October 20, 2026, to April 19, 2027, citing the need for additional time to complete the restructuring of local bodies, including the merger of village panchayats with municipal corporations and other administrative changes. The exercise has delayed the conduct of rural local body elections.
The terms of elected representatives of village panchayats, panchayat union councils and district panchayats in 28 districts ended on January 5, 2025. Special officers from the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department were subsequently appointed to oversee their administration, with their tenure periodically extended.
In the second phase, the terms of elected representatives in nine districts — Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, Villupuram, Kallakurichi, Vellore, Ranipet, Tirupattur, Tirunelveli and Tenkasi — ended on October 19, 2026. The government has now appointed special officers to administer the rural local bodies in these districts until April 19, 2027.
Under the new arrangements, the respective zonal deputy block development officers will function as special officers for village panchayats. Assistant directors in the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department will oversee panchayat unions, while additional directors, additional collectors, joint directors or project directors of the respective district rural development agencies will administer district panchayats.
The extension means that rural local body administration in the affected districts will continue under government-appointed officials until the revised deadline, unless the arrangements are changed earlier. The government is expected to use the additional time to complete the pending restructuring work required for the next round of local body elections.