Chennai, June 10 (IANS) In a significant move aimed at cutting government expenditure and expanding employment opportunities for young people, the Tamil Nadu government has initiated a comprehensive review of consultants, advisers and retired officials currently serving in various departments on re-employment or contractual arrangements.

The Human Resources Management Department has directed all department Secretaries to furnish detailed information regarding consultants, advisers, and retired personnel engaged by their respective departments. The exercise is expected to help the government assess the necessity of such appointments and determine whether administrative functions handled by them can be reassigned to regular government employees.

Official sources said the review is part of a broader effort by the government to evaluate appointments made during the previous DMK regime and examine their relevance under the present administration.

The findings are expected to form the basis of a policy decision on the future of such engagements.

The move comes at a time when nearly 3.5 lakh vacancies reportedly remain unfilled across government departments, boards, corporations and public sector institutions in the state. The TVK-led government is understood to be exploring ways to fill these vacancies through fresh recruitment, thereby creating employment opportunities for qualified youth awaiting government jobs.

Sources noted that several departments had engaged advisers, consultants and retired officials over the years, particularly for specialised assignments requiring technical or domain expertise. In some instances, consultants were appointed on lucrative contracts with monthly remuneration running into several lakhs of rupees.

Tamil Nadu Secretariat Association President K. Venkatesan welcomed the government’s initiative, stating that the association had consistently opposed large-scale re-employment of retired officials and the increasing dependence on consultants in government departments. He said the association had repeatedly urged successive governments to prioritise regular recruitment and provide greater opportunities to young aspirants seeking public sector employment.

However, senior officials cautioned that many departments continue to rely on consultants for specialised services. Departments such as Law, Finance and Municipal Administration, they noted, engage legal experts, financial advisers and subject specialists whose expertise often supports key policy decisions and administrative functions. Officials said any decision to reduce or discontinue such appointments would require careful planning to ensure that essential services and administrative processes are not disrupted.

Government sources indicated that a final decision would be taken after all departments submit their reports. The consolidated findings are expected to be placed before Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, who will take a call on the future course of action.

–IANS

aal/vd