Around 650 employees of Rural Development department took en masse leave on Thursday to raise the issues like stagnation in promotions for certain ranks of staff and lower pay scales.
The officials from the ranks of panchayat secretary up to Block Development Officer took leaves on the day.
R. Gnanasekaran, district president of Tamil Nadu Rural Development Officials Association, said that pay scales of panchayat secretaries should be raised to the same scales as that drawn by the junior assistants in the department.
The salaries of the panchayat secretaries, which were now given from the panchayat funds, should be disbursed through treasuries.
The other major demands included elevation of all staff presently working on the Deputy Block Development Officer ranks to the rank of BDO and all the road inspectors should be promoted as block engineers since they were facing stagnation in promotions.
Arrested
About 120 employees who resorted to road blockade agitation to highlight their demands were arrested in Tirupur city.
