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2026 DAILYLAW 53212 (MAD)

A. Radhakrishnan, S/o. T. Arumuga Gounder v. Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs

2026-01-07

C Kumarappan, S M Subramaniam

body2026
ORDER : S.M.SUBRAMANIAM, J. Pursuant to the order of this Court dated 19.12.2025, Mr.P.S.Raman learned Advocate General appeared and submitted a copy of the Government letter No.26210/Pol.VI/2025-4, dated 02.01.2026 issued by the Additional Chief Secretary to Government, Home (Pol.VI) Department, Secretariat, Chennai. In Paragraph No.5 of the Government Letter reads as under: “5. In view of the above position, I am directed to request you to ensure immediately that the orderly system is completely eradicated in all units and to ensure that no police personnel in the unit is deputed for any duty on OD basis without the written orders of the Director General of Police / Head of Police Force. I am also directed to request you to give necessary instructions to all the concerned officials to follow the above instructions and orders of Hon’ble High Court of Madras in the reference second cited scrupulously.” Instructions are issued to the Director General of Police/ Head of Police Force to ensure that the Government policy dispensing with the practice of orderly system in the residences of higher police officials/ retired police officials are implemented in letter and spirit in compliance with the orders of the High Court. 2. The learned Advocate General, in a right spirit express the ill effect of continuing the practice of utilizing Police Personnels as Orderlies in the residences of the Police Officers to perform household works. The Colonial system in existence must be stopped. Effective actions have been initiated by the Government by issuing instructions to the Director General of Police. 3. It is an unfortunate situation that serving Police Personnels are deputed as Orderlies to perform the household works of the retired Higher Police Officials, who had served in the rank of Director General of Police, Inspector General of Police, etc. Such practice would not only affect the morale and discipline in the Police Department, but result in affecting the efficiency in Police Administration. The Government dispensed with the orderly system and abolished in G.O.Ms.No.2231, Home (Police-VI) Department dated 05.09.1979. 4. The learned Advocate General, in all fairness and with sensitivity made a suggestion that a District Level Monitoring Committee has to be constituted to deal with complete eradication of orderly system and initiate appropriate disciplinary actions against the officials, who all are instructing the Police personnel to serve as orderly and perform household works in their residences in violation of the Government policy. The learned Advocate General would submit that the District Collector may be the Chairman of the Committee and members from Revenue Department and Police Department shall assist the Committee for its effective functioning. The Committee will gather informations, receive complaints, initiate appropriate actions and submit report to the Additional Chief Secretary to Government, Home (Pol.VI) Department. Periodical report is to be submitted by the Committee to the Government to ensure that orderly system is completely abolished in Police Department. 5 . In view of the suggestions made by the learned Advocate General in public interest and in the interest of Police Administration and to maintain discipline and morale in the uniformed force, this Court is inclined to issue the following directions: i) The Additional Chief Secretary to Government, Home (Pol.VI) Department / 19 th Respondent herein is directed to constitute District Level Committees across the State of Tamil Nadu, headed by the District Collector as Chairman and two Officials from Revenue Department not below the rank of District Revenue Officer and two members from the Police Department not below the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police / Assistant Commissioner of Police in cities, within a period of two weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of this order; ii) The District Level Committee shall gather informations, receive complaints from any person in any form, i.e., oral / through electronic mode or written complaint and initiate all appropriate actions to abolish the orderly system in Police Department; iii) The District Level Committee shall ensure that no Police personnels are deputed to perform the household works or personal works of the Higher Officials of the Police Department and issue necessary directions to depute those orderlies on regular Police duty; iv) The District Level Committee shall submit periodical report to the Additional Chief Secretary to Government, Home (Pol.VI) Department once in two months to monitor implementation of the Government Policy and Court orders. v) Chennai city, Coimbatore city and Madurai city are concerned, the District Collector / Chairman of the District Level Committee shall constitute required number of teams to ensure abolition of orderly system; vi) On receipt of report or complaint from the District Level Committee or from any person, the Additional Chief Secretary to Government, Home (Pol.VI) Department shall initiate all appropriate actions, including departmental disciplinary proceedings against the Officials concerned. 6. List on 05.02.2026 “for reporting compliance”.