Residents of Nallathur village panchayat, where a water supply plant has been set up for the supply of water to the Madras Atomic Power Station in Kalpakkam, as well as for the atomic station township areas, have sought employment for youths from their village at the station.
They also want the jobs of 48 persons who work as daily wage employees at the water plant to be regularised.
In a memorandum, submitted through the president of Nallathur village panchayat, P. Rukku, the villagers pointed out that they had resorted to democratic protests in 2005 to attract the attention of station’s officials who had failed to honour their commitment of jobs for local people when huge bore-wells were drilled in Panankattucheri in the village pachayat, three decades ago.
The officials, who had attended a peace talk meeting convened in 2005, at the instance of then Collector R. Venkatesan, had given an assurance in writing that around 200 qualified people from the hamlets Nallathur, Pommarajapuram, Panankattucheri and Koththakaarikuppam – all under the Nallathur village panchayat would be absorbed as permanent works at the power plant. However, this has not happened, their assurance remained on paper, they alleged.
Further, 48 persons who were absorbed as daily wage workers at the water supply plant, still remain daily wage workers in spite of putting in service of more than eight years, they alleged.
In a separate memorandum, the daily wage workers have sought the district administration’s help in getting their service regularised.
