CHENNAI: The recruitment of assistant engineers, town planning officers, health inspectors and other personnel in the Greater Chennai Corporation, Coimbatore Corporation and other urban local bodies (ULBs), which had been mired in controversy over allegations of bribery and procedural violations under both the AIADMK and DMK regimes, has now been brought under the purview of the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) by the TVK government.
Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar recently gave his assent to the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (Additional Functions) Amendment Bill, 2026, which was passed in the Assembly on September 8, bringing recruitment for 25 corporations, 145 municipalities and 479 town panchayats across the state under the TNPSC. At present, the TNPSC conducts recruitment only for the post of municipal commissioner, a Group-II post, in urban local bodies.
The move is aimed at curbing malpractice and bringing greater transparency and uniformity to the recruitment process. So far, posts such as junior assistants, assistant engineers and other personnel have been filled through direct recruitment by the Municipal Administration and Water Supply (MAWS) department or the respective urban local bodies.
As many as 54 junior assistants in the Coimbatore Corporation during 2020-21 were terminated last month following allegations of irregularities in their recruitment. The appointments were made when SP Velumani was the minister for MAWS department.
Similarly, former DMK minister KN Nehru faced allegations in a cash-for-jobs case involving the alleged collection of bribes ranging from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 40 lakh for appointments. The recruitment, conducted through Anna University in August 2024, was held to fill 2,538 posts in the MAWS department. Based on a dossier prepared by the ED, the DVAC has registered an FIR against Nehru, and an inquiry is under way.
A TNPSC board member said the move would bring greater transparency to the recruitment process. “Uniformity in the selection process will help prevent irregularities and boost the confidence of job seekers,” the official said. The commission has already written to the government seeking the filling of vacancies and an increase in its manpower to enable it to undertake additional recruitment, the official added.
S Rajan Kumaravel, a job aspirant, said the written examination for recruitment to the MAWS during the DMK regime in 2024 was conducted by Anna University. “The university also conducted examinations for the appointment in the cooperation department as well. Conducting examinations through the university did not address concerns over transparency in the recruitment process, and it also lacked credibility compared to TNPSC.”
The DMK government in 2022 passed the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (Additional Functions) Amendment Act, 2022, empowering the TNPSC to conduct recruitment for services in state-owned public sector undertakings, corporations, statutory boards and authorities. The Act came into force on March 17, 2023. However, urban local bodies, cooperative societies and certain other institutions were not covered under the Act.
AU case
KN Nehru faced allegations of collection of bribery ranging from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 40 lakh for appointments. The recruitment, conducted through Anna University in August 2024, was held to fill 2,538 posts
What the Act says
TNPSC Amendment Act, 2022, allowed it to conduct recruitments in services in PSUs, corporations and statutory boards, but ULBs, co-op societies and others were excluded
Junior assts lose job
54 junior assistants appointed in the Coimbatore Corporation during 2020-21 were terminated last month following allegations of irregularities in their recruitment