Nagpur: The Maharashtra govt last week imposed fresh restrictions on deputation of revenue department officers, mandating a minimum three-year tenure in their parent department before being considered for another deputation.The rules will apply to all gazetted officers, including additional district collectors, deputy collectors, tehsildars, naib tehsildars and officials from the land records department. For officers posted in the establishments of the CM, deputy CM or ministers, the deputation tenure has been capped at five years, beyond which “special approval of CM will be required.”The decision, taken by Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on the directives of chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, comes amid concerns that frequent and prolonged deputations were weakening core departmental operations. “Officers repeatedly moving out on deputation were affecting the efficiency of the revenue department. This decision ensures administrative discipline and better service to citizens,” the govt said.Officials noted that key wings such as revenue, land records, registration and stamps had seen a major outflow of gazetted officers, leaving senior posts vacant and directly impacting citizen services. The new guidelines seek to correct this imbalance.Under the revised framework, officers will be eligible for deputation for a maximum of three years initially. Upon completion, they must serve at least three years in their parent department — a mandatory “cooling-off” period — before being considered again. Govt limited extensions, stating that “only in exceptional cases, a one-year extension may be granted with approval from the parent department.”
