The State government on Monday introduced a Bill in the Assembly to amend the Tamil Nadu Panchayats Act 1994 so as to extend the term of Special Officers for village panchayats, panchayat union councils, and district panchayats in 28 districts of the State. The Bill said the term of office of the elected representatives expired on January 5, 2025. The districts excluded are Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, Villupuram, Kallakurichi, Vellore, Ranipet, Tirupattur, Tirunelveli, and Tenkasi.The elections to the said rural local bodies could not be conducted before the said process, as the process of delimitation and reservation of wards were yet to be completed.The term of the Special Officers was extended from time to time, with the last extension done on July 5, 2026. Subsequently, the government issued orders extending their term from July 6 to October 19. The Bill seeks to give effect to the above decision. Published - September 07, 2026 11:57 pm IST