Ahead of Assembly poll, various associations put forth several demands

Be it the 275 data entry operators at the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation (TNCSC) or the organic farmers, they are all holding press conferences and staging protests, desperately wanting their voices to be heard before the Assembly elections are announced.

TNCSC Computer Operators Association, which consists of 275 members who have been working on a contract basis, managing stock in warehouses and providing materials to affordable stores since 2009, requested that its members be appointed to the existing vacant positions in the relevant distribution centers.

“We joined for a fee of ₹ 13,688. However, recently this figure was reduced to ₹ 11,300. We want the DMK government to keep its 2021 poll promise and make our jobs permanent,” said A. Manivannan, general secretary of the association.

Tamil Nadu Qualified Yoga Teachers Association wants 2023-24 and 2024-25 salaries to be paid to its 250 members teaching yoga in primary health centers and government schools.

“The training was given under the Ayushman Bharat scheme. The Center released ₹ 1.50 crore towards fees, but the State government did not pay the amount. Instead, it suspended yoga teachers and tried to appoint those with bachelor’s degrees in Naturopathy and Yoga Sciences to that place. Our salaries have not been paid since we went to court,” said V. Kasinathadurai, secretary of the association.

The wait continues

2018 Motor Vehicle Inspectors II. The Degree Examiners Association called on the government to either appoint those selected in the meetings held in 2023 or to decide on temporary elections. Members of this association wrote exams in 2018, but the selection process was postponed due to 28 people applying to the court.

Coordinator M. Senthilkumar said that out of 113 vacancies, 28 can be kept for those who go to court, while the rest can be filled with its own members.

AV Saravanan, general secretary of Tamil Nadu Regulated Market Committee Weigh Workers Union, said that since the time of the British, more than 20,000 members of the union have been working as daily wage labourers. Farmers who brought their produce to the market to have it weighed, put in different bags and stored in the warehouse paid them 12.50 rupees per 75 kg bag.

“Work in each committee starts at 4 in the morning and they work until noon. They have no health insurance or pension. We demand that these men be given permanent jobs and all kinds of social assistance be provided,” he said.

The Tamil Nadu Organic Farmers Federation has demanded the setting up of a welfare board, annual incentive payment of ₹ 24,000 per acre to organic farmers and allocation of at least 25% of the State Budget for purchase of organic food for the public distribution system by government agencies.

Organic farmer and educator Vetrimaran said, “We also want incentives to be given to farmers who protect and share local seeds.”

Suresh, another organic farmer, looked for markets and organic food processing centers at the block and district level.