Be it the 275 data entry operators in the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation (TNCSC) or organic farmers, all of them have been holding press meets and staging protests, desperately wanting to be heard before the Assembly election is announced.
The TNCSC Computer Operators’ Association — comprising 275 members who have been working on contract since 2009, managing stocks at godowns and ensuring supplies to fair price shops — have demanded that their members be appointed to the existing vacancies at the respective godowns.
“We joined for a pay of ₹13,688. But recently, this was reduced to ₹11,300. We want the DMK government to keep its 2021 poll promise and make our jobs permanent,” A. Manivannan, general secretary of the association, said.
The Tamil Nadu Qualified Yoga Teachers’ Association wants 250 of its members, who teach yoga at primary health centres and government schools, to be paid the wages for 2023-24 and 2024-25.
“The training was provided under the Ayushman Bharat scheme. The Centre has released ₹1.50 crore for wages, but the State government has not paid that amount. Instead, it sacked the yoga teachers and tried to appoint those who had Bachelor of Naturopathy and Yoga Sciences degrees in that place. Since we went to court, we have not been paid our salaries,” said association secretary V. Kasinathadurai.
Wait continues
The 2018 Motor Vehicle Inspector Grade II Examiners’ Association has urged the government to either appoint or provide provisional selection orders to those who were chosen during the interviews held in 2023. The members of this association wrote exams in 2018, but the selection process was kept in abeyance since 28 persons went to court.
M. Senthilkumar, coordinator, says that of the 113 vacant posts, 28 could be kept for those who went to court and the rest be filled with their members.
The general secretary of the Tamil Nadu Regulated Market Committee Weigh Labourers’ Union, A.V. Saravanan, said that over 20,000 members of the union had been working as daily wage labourers since the time of the British. They were paid ₹12.50 per 75-kg bag by the farmers who brought their produce to the market to weigh them, change the items to different gunny bags, and keep them in storage.
“In each committee, work begins by 4 a.m. and they work till well after noon. They do not have any medical insurance or pension. We demand that these men be given permanent jobs and all benefits,” he said.
The Tamil Nadu Organic Farmers’ Federation has demanded that a welfare board be set up, an annual incentive amount of ₹24,000 per acre be paid to organic farmers, and at least 25% of the State Budget be allotted for organic food procurement for the public distribution system by government agencies.
“We also want incentives to be given to farmers who conserve and share native seeds,” said Vetrimaran, organic farmer and trainer.
Suresh, another organic farmer, sought markets and organic food processing centres at the block and district levels.
Published – February 26, 2026 01:10 am IST
