The Commissioner of Revenue Administration (CRA) has directed 23 District Collectors to conduct surprise checks and confirm whether Village Administrative Officers (VAOs) in their respective districts are residing in the villages they are in-charge of.
“In case, the Village Administrative Officers are not residing in their in-charge villages as laid down in Tamil Nadu Ministerial Service Rules 38(b) (iii) Annexure –X, Rule 10, you are directed to take disciplinary action against the Village Administrative Officers for violating the rules and report back before July 10, 2019,” the communication stated.
The communication to the Districts Collectors followed a Madras High Court judgment in a contempt petition by Satta Panchayat Iyakkam that directed the CRA to verify whether the allegation made by the petitioner was true. A total of 23 District Collectors have been sent this recent communication by the CRA. The office of the CRA had, in March, 2016, instructed Collectors to verify whether the VAOs were residing in their in-charge villages.