Thrissur sees ire of pensioners, protests against currency ban

It was protest day in the city. If some people erected a ‘panthal’ on the centre of the road, others disrupted traffic. City witnessed protests against the Union government on various issues on Wednesday.

Provident Fund Pensioners Association took out a march ‘half-naked’ to the PF office in protect against centre’s neglect towards the pensioners. The protesters, who took a city march carrying begging bowls, erected a ‘panthal’ at the centre of the Press Club road disrupting traffic.

Increasing minimum EPF pension to Rs.6,500 and allotment of DA were their demands. Writer Balachandran Vadakkedath inaugurated the dharna. Association district president P.N. Gopalan presided.

The three other protests were against scrapping of currency notes.

Youth Congress-KSU activists took out a march to the SBI main branch in the city. DCC general secretary Sajeevan Kuriachira inaugurated the march.

All Kerala Lottery Agents and Sellers (INTUC) staged a dharna in front of the AG’s office demanding immediate solution for the currency issue. Former MLA T.V. Chandramohan inaugurated the dharna. Lottery Agents and Sellers Union (CITU) district committee also took out a protest march to Income Tax office. State vice-president M.K. Balakrishnan inaugurated it.

A joint action committee in the cooperative sector observed a hartal, alleging that the Union government was trying to destroy the cooperative sector in the name of currency crisis. All cooperative firms in the district joined the hartal. They took out a protest march in the city. Around 160 cooperative banks in the district did not function. CPI(M) district secretary K. Radhakrishnan inaugurated the the stir.