Tamil Nadu government reshuffles town planning officials to enforce corruption-free system

The Municipal Administration and Water Supply (MAWS) Department has effected an en masse transfer of town planning officials across Tamil Nadu as part of efforts to curb corruption and help officials adapt to recent policy and administrative changes introduced by the State government, a senior official has said.

The development came up during a review meeting on the functioning of the Directorate of Town and Country Planning (DTCP), chaired by Housing and Urban Development Minister P. Rajkumar, at the DTCP headquarters in Koyambedu on Tuesday (June 9, 2026).

On June 5, several City Planners and Urban Planners were transferred across corporations and municipalities in Tamil Nadu on administrative grounds. The reshuffle covered officials serving in Coimbatore, Madurai, Tiruchirappalli, Erode, Thoothukudi, Thanjavur, Hosur, Sivakasi, and Namakkal corporations, as well as Maraimalai Nagar, Villupuram and Theni-Allinagaram municipalities.

Review meeting

Minister Rajkumar on Wednesday (June 10) reviewed the organisational structure of the Directorate, departmental administration, development projects, and regional planning initiatives. Discussions were also held on the objectives and key components of comprehensive plans being prepared across the State.

He reviewed the progress of Geographic Information System (GIS)-based master planning initiatives and examined matters relating to the constitution of planning authorities and appointments of members to planning bodies.

The meeting also discussed infrastructure development funds, the functioning of the single-window online approval system, and the progress of the self-certification scheme for building approvals. Issues relating to hill area conservation authorities and the regularisation of unapproved layouts and plots were reviewed. Deliberations were also held on the regularisation of unauthorised educational institution buildings, according to a press release.

Earlier, the Minister distributed appointment orders to three candidates selected through the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission for the post of Assistant Director in the Town and Country Planning Department, the release said.