The Madras High Court on Wednesday (January 7, 2026) directed the Tamil Nadu Home Secretary to constitute district-level monitoring committees, headed by the respective Collectors, to ensure that no serving or retired police officer in the State engages uniformed police personnel for personal or household work despite the abolition of the ‘orderly’ system way back in 1979.
Third Division Bench of Justices S.M. Subramaniam and C. Kumarappan also ordered that the committees should comprise a revenue official, not below the rank of a District Revenue Officer (DRO), and two police officers handpicked by the Collectors concerned for the purpose of collecting information, conducting inspections, and taking action on complaints.
T.N. DGP calls for complete eradication of orderly system
Advocate General P.S. Raman had suggested the constitution of such committees after the judges expressed dismay over the “abhorrent” practice of trained police personnel being used for cleaning shoes, cooking, and running errands at the residences of higher officials continuing, despite several orders passed against it by the government and the High Court.
The judges directed the Home Secretary to ensure the constitution of the district-level committees across the State within two weeks. During the course of the hearing of the matter, they also remarked that letting the Superintendents of Police head such committees may not serve the purpose, as in most cases, it was those officers who use police personnel for household work.
