Terms of reference of HR reforms panel will be cancelled: Stalin

CHENNAI: In a big relief to the government employees and government job aspirants, Chief Minister MK Stalin on Wednesday assured that the terms of reference (TOR) for the Human Resource Reforms Committee, formed under Governor Order no.115, will be cancelled and a new TOR will be issued.

After the TOR, which stressed on outsourcing of recruitment for government jobs, was released, there was a huge uproar across the state. Following protests, office bearers of Tamil Nadu Secretariat Association (TANSA) met the Chief Minister at his office in Secretariat and expressed their opposition for the committee and the TOR.

They detailed every point that was against the principles of social justice and after listening to their grievances assured them that the recommendations of the reforms committee will not do any harm to the government officials and no decision will be taken without consulting the government employees association."

State Finance Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan, while presenting the Budget for the year 2022-23, citing the expenditure incurred towards providing salary and pension for government employees, said that a reform committee will be formed in a period of six months and as announced a GO was issued 'silently' on October 18.

The committee comprises of three retired IAS officials such as MF Farooqui, C Chandramouli, D Jothi Jagarajan, former Chairperson of Ethiraj College Chandra Devi Thanikachalam, former Chairman and CEO of Cognizant Lakshmi Narayanan.

The news of formation of the committee came to the knowledge of the public only on November 4 when the committee held its first meeting in the Secretariat. After the TOR of the committee became public there was outrage and political parties alleged that if recruitment is outsourced reservation will not be followed and the principles of social justice, which forms the bedrock of the ruling DMK government will be neglected.