Chennai: PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss has urged the Tamil Nadu government to withdraw its decision to appoint Indian Forest Service (IFS) officers as Project Directors of District Rural Development Agencies (DRDAs) in Theni and Kanniyakumari districts.
Ramadoss argued that the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department handles several programmes and services directly affecting rural communities, and questioned the appointment of forest-service officers to positions traditionally associated with rural development administration. His statement was reported on August 23.
The official Kanniyakumari district administration website currently lists D.V. Sai Charan Reddy, IFS, as Project Director, DRDA, confirming the appointment referred to by Ramadoss.
Concerns Over Rural Administration
Ramadoss said the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department is responsible for implementing several programmes and providing basic infrastructure in villages.
He cited areas including:
- Rural roads and bridges
- Housing
- Drinking water
- Sanitation
- Rural employment programmes
- Other welfare and development schemes
He argued that officers from the Forest Service may not have the same departmental experience in rural development administration.
According to Ramadoss, the appointment could also affect the career progression of officials who have spent years working within the Rural Development Department.
Ramadoss Seeks Posts for Rural Development Officials
Ramadoss said the DRDA Project Director posts should instead be filled through the promotion of officers from the Rural Development Department.
He argued that continued appointment of All India Service officers to these positions could limit opportunities for departmental officials to advance to senior positions.
“The Tamil Nadu government should give up the decision to appoint Indian Forest Service officers as Project Directors of the District Rural Development Agencies.”
He also called for the government to consider the impact of the appointments on rural service delivery and the career progression of departmental personnel.
IFS Officer Currently Heads Kanniyakumari DRDA
The Kanniyakumari district administration’s official directory lists D.V. Sai Charan Reddy, IFS, as the district’s DRDA Project Director. The same directory separately lists the District Forest Officer, indicating that Reddy’s current assignment is with the DRDA.
Ramadoss Also Raises Mekedatu Issue
In a separate part of his statement, Ramadoss called for the Tamil Nadu government to convene an all-party meeting over Karnataka’s proposed Mekedatu dam project.
He urged the state government to bring political parties, MPs and MLAs together and present a united position before the Centre on Tamil Nadu’s interests in the Cauvery water dispute.
“Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay should convene an all-party meeting and take all-party leaders, MPs and MLAs to Delhi to meet the Prime Minister and urge the Centre to safeguard Tamil Nadu’s rights in the Cauvery water dispute.”
Ramadoss also referred to Karnataka’s reported submission of a revised report to the Centre concerning the proposed Mekedatu project.
Call for Compensation Over Cauvery Water Shortfall
Ramadoss claimed that Tamil Nadu had received substantially less Cauvery water than it expected over the preceding three months.
He said:“Over the last three months, Tamil Nadu should have received 65.70 TMC of water, but only around seven TMC has been received.”
He linked the alleged shortfall in Cauvery water releases to difficulties faced by farmers in the Cauvery Delta and called for legal action. Ramadoss urged farmers’ associations to approach the Supreme Court and seek ₹1,000 crore in compensation from the Karnataka government for crop losses, citing the impact of inadequate water releases on agriculture in the region.
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