A large number of Revenue Department employees went on mass casual leave on Thursday claiming that the Thoothukudi Sub-Collector was taking an anti-employees stand.
Routine work at the Collectorate, taluk offices and revenue divisional offices across the district was affected and the offices wore a deserted look.
D. Senthurajan, district secretary, Tamil Nadu Revenue Officials Association (TNROA), who took part in the protest, said the agitated employees had resorted to this form of protest demanding cancellation of disciplinary action taken against a few Revenue Department officials.
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Last week, disciplinary action was taken against Tahsildars Elango and Sankaranarayanan and Deputy Tahsildar Gnanaraj. It was alleged that Tahsildar Elango had recommended issue of a patta land at a value of about Rs. 3 lakh to a private person. Tahsildar Sankaranarayanan and Deputy Tahsildar Gnanaraj had fixed the land value for some acquired lands at Rs. 1 crore, which was higher than the market value.
The officials had been charged with causing a financial loss of Rs. 3 lakh and Rs. 1 crore to the government exchequer, he said.
On Monday, members of the TNROA had staged a demonstration on the Collectorate premises demanding dropping of charges against the officials.
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To put an end to the agitation, Collector M. Ravikumar had convened a meeting with the association members recently.
However, the issue could not be resolved at the meeting, sources said.
Of the total 468 staff of Revenue Department in the district, 333 went on casual leave, sources added.