G.O. Ms. No. 191, Expansion of Chennai Revenue Unit, Deployment of Staff and Fixation of Seniority, 2018

What the government order governs

G.O. Ms. No. 191 dated 28 May 2018, issued by the Revenue and Disaster Management Department, Revenue Administration Wing, deals with staffing after Chennai District was expanded to match the jurisdiction of the Greater Chennai Corporation. The expansion had added certain villages from Sholinganallur and Alandur Taluks in Kancheepuram District, and from Maduravoyal, Ambattur, Madhavaram, Tiruvottriyur and Ponneri Taluks in Tiruvallur District.

The government order does not identify individual properties or decide ownership. It provides the administrative arrangements needed to deploy revenue staff to the expanded Chennai District.

Who is affected

G.O. Ms. No. 191 primarily affects revenue department employees serving in Chennai, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur Districts. It covers existing Chennai employees, employees who choose to migrate, and junior employees transferred on administrative grounds.

The covered categories include general revenue staff, Tahsildars, Village Administrative Officers, Village Assistants, upgraded Village Administrative Officers and Karnams. Property owners and buyers may encounter the resulting administrative structure when dealing with revenue offices in areas brought into Chennai District.

Key staffing and seniority provisions

• Employees who choose to migrate from Tiruvallur or Kancheepuram District to expanded Chennai District retain their seniority.
• Existing Chennai employees and employees who opt to migrate are pooled by job category. Their date of joining in the current category is used to determine seniority.
• If too few employees volunteer and vacancies remain, the junior-most staff in the relevant category may be transferred from Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram Districts.
• Employees transferred without their willingness retain seniority in their respective unit or district. They cannot all be placed below the last-ranked Chennai employee in that category.
• Village Administrative Officers are covered by similar rules for voluntary and administrative transfers.
• Village Assistants transferred from the two districts are pooled, with seniority based on their date of joining as Village Assistant.
• The existing 30 Karnam posts and 28 upgraded Village Administrative Officer posts in Chennai District retain their existing status and seniority.
• No junior employee may be placed above a senior employee, irrespective of the post.
• A combined seniority list must be maintained, and promotion panels may be prepared after seniority is fixed.
• The Principal Secretary and Commissioner of Revenue Administration must implement the arrangements without seeking additional posts or funds in future.