Court directs expeditious consideration of rule relaxation request for service qualifications, without merits adjudication.

BEFORE THE MADURAI BENCH OF MADRAS HIGH COURT Dated : 09/04/2026 CORAM THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE MUMMINENI SUDHEER KUMAR K.Thiruvengadam ... Petitioner Vs

1. The Secretary to Government, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department, Secretariat, Chennai-600 009..

2. The Commissioner, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department, Panagal Building, Saidapet, Chennai 600 015.

3. The District Collector, Karur District, Karur. ... Respondents PRAYER:- Writ Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, praying this Court to issue a Writ of Mandamus, directing the 3rd respondent to forward the petitioners proposal for relaxation of Rule 3 of the Tamil Nadu Rural Development Subordinate Service Special Rules to the 1st respondent and consequently directing the 1st respondent to pass appropriate orders on such proposal within a time frame fixed by this Honble Court in light of the petitioners representation dated 27.02.2026 .

For Petitioner : Mr.S.Balamurugan For Respondents : Mr.V.Om Prakash Government Advocate ORDER Mr.Om Prakash, learned Government Advocate, takes notice for the respondents.

2. With the consent of both sides, this writ petition is disposed of at the admission stage.

3. Heard the learned counsel for the petitioner and the learned Government Advocate appearing for the respondents.

4. It is the case of the petitioner that he was initially appointed as Junior Assistant on compassionate grounds and due to procedural and administrative delay, his probation could not be declared immediately, on par with the other similarly situated persons. Because of the said reason, the Junior Assistants, who were juniors to the petitioner, have marched over to him and got further promotion to the post of Deputy Block Development Officer, Block Development Officer etc. When his Junior namely Thiru.M.Thangaraja was granted temporary promotion as Assistant, the petitioner ought to have been granted temporary promotion as Assistant with effect from 29.12.2011 i.e immediately after completion of promotion on 28.12.2011. When his junior was promoted as Deputy Block Development Officer, the petitioner ought to have been promoted as Deputy Block Development Officer with effect from 29.12.2013. As per Rule 3 of the Tamil Nadu Rural Development Subordinate Service Special Rules, promotion to the post of Deputy Block Development Officer requires one year service experience as Assistant and one year service as Rule Welfare Officer Grade-I. The said condition requires relaxation by the Government in the petitioner's case, since the petitioner completed 15 days training as Head Quarter Deputy Block Development Officer only after the panel cut off date i.e on 01.03.2025. According to the petitioner, the respondents are vested with the power to relax rules and the failure to exercise such power amounts to arbitrary inaction and non-application of mind. Therefore, the petitioner submitted a representation dated 27.02.2026 to the respondents seeking relaxation of the said service qualifications and for considering his case on par with his juniors. It is complaining against the non- consideration of the said representation dated 27.02.2026, the petitioner has approached this Court by filing the present writ petition.

5. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that under similar circumstances, the Government has granted benefit of exemption in favour of certain other candidates, vide G.O.(P) No.80, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (Pa.A.6) Department, dated

19.02.2026.

6. Learned Government Advocate appearing for the respondents, on instructions, submitted that in case the representation dated 27.02.206, submitted by the petitioner is still pending consideration, the same would be considered