Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami was left red faced after some revenue village staff belonging to various associations of the department protested during the MGR Centenary celebrations in which he participated here on Thursday.
Ironically, the event was organised by Revenue Minister R.B. Udayakumar with staff from various revenue villages present at the function at Kalaivanar Arangam.
During the course of the event, some of these workers who were sitting in the last few rows raised occasional slogans but did not disrupt the proceedings. As the Chief Minister wound up his speech after making a few announcements regarding benefits to the revenue village assistants and officers, a number of staff started shouting . Some of them rushed near the stage and raised slogans.
Many expressed their anguish over the Chief Minister not announcing pay hikes and converting their temporary jobs to permanent posts. As commotion prevailed, Mr. Udayakumar tried to bring the situation under control, even as the Chief Minister and other Ministers remained standing on the stage.
Mr. Udayakumar requested the protesters to return to their seats and assured them that their issues were being looked into. The Chief Minister left the venue as the protests continued.
S. Natarjan, a gram panchayat assistant in Kumbakonam, said many were working in the same post for the past 30 years. “Officially we are part time workers, but we are still working full time,” he said. L. Sangilimuthum, another village panchayat assistant from Pudukottai, said their pay was very low and their jobs needed to be made full-time.
The Revenue Minister assured the staff that the Revenue Secretary and other officials would hold talks immediately with the protesting associations and resolve the issues.
Mr. Udayakumar told The Hindu that most of these demands that were made by these employees were already under consideration of the department and officials were looking into it.
