Normal functioning of the offices under the Department of Rural Development across Virudhunagar district came to a grinding halt after its employees began a two-day sit-in protest pressing for a charter of demands, on Tuesday.
Over 400 employees, ranging in rank from Office Assistant to Block Development Officer, are taking part in the protest in the district, as part of a State-wide progamme, said secretary of Tamil Nadu Rural Development Officers’ Association, N. Pugalengthi.
Stating that the officials and employees in the Block Development Offices were involved in COVID-19 preventive work, Mr. Pugalenthi said that, of late, the government was imposing a heavy burden on them with work related to various schemes without giving them adequate time for execution. “Our men are already overburdened with COVID-19 work for the last five months,” he said.
Besides, the government had not revoked various penal actions taken on the Rural Development employees for their participation in the State-wide protest called by JACTTO-GEO in January 2019. “The disciplinary proceedings had been initiated in around 10 districts and are yet to be revoked,’ he said.
Stating that a functionary of JACTTO-GEO, M. Subramanian, was suspended in June 2019 for his role in the strike, Mr. Pugalenthi said that despite the Madras High Court ordering the revocation of his suspension order, the State government was not doing it.
“It is now around one month since the judgement was given. Despite having made a representation to the District Collector, the State government has not acted upon it,” he charged.
