G.O. (Ms) No. 145, Appointment of Special Officers to Town Panchayats, 2016
The Government of Tamil Nadu, Municipal Administration and Water Supply (Elections) Department, issued G.O. (Ms) No. 145 dated 24 October 2016 to notify the Governor of Tamil Nadu's temporary appointment of Special Officers to administer specified Town Panchayats. The appointments took effect on 25 October 2016 and lasted until the first meeting of councils elected after the ordinance commenced, or 31 December 2016, whichever was earlier.
Purpose
G.O. (Ms) No. 145 dated 24 October 2016 was issued by the Government of Tamil Nadu, Municipal Administration and Water Supply (Elections) Department, following disruption to the local body election process. The High Court of Madras had quashed the election notifications and directed that fresh notifications be issued and elections completed according to law, no later than 31 December 2016. Existing Town Panchayat council terms were due to expire on 24 October 2016 and could not be extended beyond five years.
The Tamil Nadu Municipal Laws (Third Amendment) Ordinance, 2016 inserted a provision in the Tamil Nadu District Municipalities Act, 1920 enabling the State Government to appoint Special Officers to Town Panchayats.
Who was affected
G.O. (Ms) No. 145 applied to Town Panchayats listed in its schedules. Schedule I appointed Assistant Directors of Town Panchayats as Special Officers for specified Town Panchayats in Kancheepuram, Thiruvallur, Vellore, Thiruvannamalai, Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri, Salem, Namakkal, Erode, Tiruppur, Coimbatore, the Nilgiris, Cuddalore and Vilupuram districts.
The listed Town Panchayats include Mamallapuram, Sriperumbudur, Minjur, Sholingur, Harur, Omalur, Sankari, Perundurai, Avinashi, Sulur, Kotagiri, Vadalur and Ulundurpet, among others. The notification also appoints Executive Officers identified in Schedule II as Special Officers for the Town Panchayats specified there.
Key provisions
G.O. (Ms) No. 145 provided that:
- Assistant Directors named in Schedule I became Special Officers for the corresponding Town Panchayats.
- Executive Officers named in Schedule II became Special Officers for the corresponding Town Panchayats.
- Special Officers exercised the powers and discharged the functions of the relevant Town Panchayats under the Tamil Nadu District Municipalities Act, 1920.
- The appointments began on 25 October 2016.
- Each appointment continued only until the first meeting of the newly elected Town Panchayat council or 31 December 2016, whichever occurred earlier.
Relevance to property matters
G.O. (Ms) No. 145 did not change land ownership, land classification, property rates or transaction requirements. Its relevance to owners, buyers and professionals was administrative. During the temporary period, the appointed Special Officer exercised the powers and functions that would otherwise have been handled by the relevant Town Panchayat council.
This summary is generated from the source document to help you find what is relevant. The PDF above is authoritative. For advice on your own property, use LandLens One or speak to a qualified professional.
Common questions
Did G.O. (Ms) No. 145 change land ownership or land classification?
No such change is stated. The document concerns the temporary appointment of Special Officers to exercise the powers and functions of specified Town Panchayats.
When did the Special Officer appointments take effect?
The notification came into force on 25 October 2016.
How long could the Special Officers remain in charge?
The appointments lasted until the first meeting of the Town Panchayat councils elected after the ordinance commenced, or 31 December 2016, whichever was earlier.
Why were Special Officers appointed to the Town Panchayats?
The High Court of Madras had quashed the local body election notifications, while the existing council terms were due to expire on 24 October 2016. Special Officers were appointed to administer the Town Panchayats until elected councils could meet, subject to the stated end date.
