

VIJAYAWADA: In a bid to enhance administrative efficiency in Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), the State government has issued fresh guidelines for deputing officers from other departments as Municipal Commissioners and Additional Commissioners.
According to Government Order (G.O.) Rt. No. 679 issued by the Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department on Tuesday, only officers from four departments—Panchayati Raj, Revenue, State Audit, and Andhra Pradesh Secretariat—are now eligible for deputation.
The directive, signed by Principal Secretary S Suresh Kumar, follows proposals from the Commissioner & Director of Municipal Administration and representations from the AP Municipal Commissioners’ Association.
To qualify, officers must have at least five years of service in their parent department, possess a bachelor’s degree, clear Accounts Tests for Local Bodies Parts I and II, and have no pending vigilance cases.
Deputation will be capped at 10% of total sanctioned posts across Municipal Corporations, Municipalities, and Nagar Panchayats.
A mandatory 30-day training program will include exposure to CDMA, DTCP, PH Department, Swachha Andhra Corporation, MEPMA, and on-ground ULB operations.
Deputation is temporary, and officers may be repatriated once eligible MAUD cadre officers are posted.
Salary and post eligibility will align with the parent department’s pay scale.
The move aims to balance flexibility with administrative competence.