Chennai

TheTamil Nadu government has extended the tenure of Special Officers administering the local bodies by six months, pushing the timeline until April 19, 2027.

The government issued orders stating that the rural local body elections cannot be held immediately due to ongoing administrative restructuring, including the merger of 46 rural local bodies with urban local bodies and pending ward delimitation.

In its order, the government said the extension applied to all 37 districts.

It extended the tenure of Special Officers in 28 districts (where elected terms ended previously) and appointed new Special Officers in the remaining 9 districts where the elected terms officially expired on October 19, 2026.

As a result, instead of elected politicians, these government-appointed officials - such as block development officers and project directors - will continue to oversee civic services like drinking water, street lighting, and infrastructure maintenance.

A senior official on Thursday indicated that owing to pending reorganisation, upcoming winter monsoon duties, and the census, local body elections will likely not take place until after March 2027.