Revenue officials protest and go on mass casual leave; services come to a halt

Normal functioning of revenue offices including Sub-Collectors and Revenue Divisional Officers offices were paralysed on Thursday as officers and employees of the Revenue Department went on mass casual leave to highlight their demand to include hiring for existing vacancies.

Normal functioning of revenue offices including Sub-Collectors and Revenue Divisional Officers offices were paralysed on Thursday as officers and employees of the Revenue Department went on mass casual leave to highlight their demand to include hiring for existing vacancies.

The protesting revenue officials said the State government had not released the Deputy Collectors promotion list over the past four years and hence senior officials had to retire from service without getting this promotion. The government should publish the Deputy Collectors promotion list immediately to fill-up the vacancies.

The government should also immediately issue Government Orders on the demands accepted by the State during the talks held earlier. The vacancies in all revenue offices — right from Office Assistants — should be filled-up immediately, the protestors said.

 In Tirunelveli district, 291 of the 380 revenue officials participated in the strike.

In Thoothukudi district, 398 of the 452 revenue officials including tahsildars, deputy tahsildars and revenue inspectors went on casual leave as part of their agitation. Consequently, functioning of the District Collectorate, three Revenue Divisional Offices and 10 taluk offices came to a grinding halt. The public had to return empty handed. who came to the offices.

The revenue department offices wore a deserted look in Kanniyakumari and Tenkasi also as the officials participated in the mass casual leave protest.

In the evening, members of the Tamil Nadu Government Employees Association staged a demonstration in various parts of Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Kanniyakumari and Tenkasi districts demanding the revival of old pension scheme as promised by the ruling DMK in its election manifesto for Assembly poll 2021.