A total of 32,493 candidates out of over 41,300 applicants appeared for the Village Administrative Officer examination conducted by Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission at 93 centres in Tiruchi revenue district.
Eligible candidates with a minimum qualification of a pass in SSLC public examination had applied online for the exam conducted after a six-year gap.
Their supporting documents will be verified at the next stage of selection. A total number of 1,870 VAO vacancies are to be filled, official sources said.
After direct recruitment was introduced for replacing part-time Village Officers with Village Administrative Officers, the post is getting filled with candidates with higher educational qualifications. For instance, there are numerous postgraduates among the applicants this time, official sources said. “VAOs with strong educational background will ease the burden of deputy tahsildars, and tahsildars. Though their entry point is the ministerial service of State government, they can go on to become Tahsildars after putting in the required years of service,” former State President Revenue Officials’ Asosciation, S. Sudalaiandi, said, adding that as grassroots officers, VAOs with high educational background will be better placed to fulfil their responsibilities.
The responsibilities of VAO’s include maintenance of revenue records, preparing land tax rolls, collecting land revenue, identifying sites attached by court of law, issuing certificates to farmers for loans, coordinating with tahsildar and deputy tahsildar in protecting rights of tenants and in sorting out disputes, keeping vigil over land distributed under land reform and payment of fair wage to agricultural labourers, preventing encroachment of government lands, recovering dues under Central Revenue Recovery Act and remitting the same to State accounts, and catering to exigencies in rainy season.
They also keep vigil in villages to avoid law and order problems, counsel parties concerned to keep peace, provide information about illegal sand mining, and assist officers conducting periodic checks to curb such activities.
