DISPLAYING THE SOUVENIR: (From left) Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, J.L. Bhan, general secretary, All India Government Employees Association and Chief Secretary N. Narayanan at the Government Employees and Teachers Meet in Chennai on Wednesday. — Photo: V. Ganesan

CHENNAI: State Government employees belonging to various unions organised a state-level conference here on Wednesday to thank the Chief Minister for restoring various concessions by the government, which were withdrawn earlier.

The Chief Minister at the conference also announced concessions for Village Administrative Officers and Village Assistants. The fixed travelling allowance of VAOs would be increased from Rs.100 to Rs.200, and the Jamabandi allowance would be raised to Rs.1,700 from Rs.1,200. They would be given Rs.800 a year for office maintenance. Village Assistants who were made full time employees in her previous regime would be given pension and family pension. About 12,500 VAOs and 31,000 village assistants would benefit from the Chief Minister's announcement.

Presiding over the conference, president of the Tamil Nadu Government Officials Union G. Sunderamoorthi said the employees were indebted to the Chief Minister for announcing concessions to the tune of Rs.1,200 crore to them after successfully overcoming the severe financial crisis in the State. No other State Government had given 71 per cent dearness allowance and merged 50 per cent of the DA with the basic pay to its employees.

S. Eswaran, general secretary of the All-India Teachers Kootani, in his welcome address said that though there was a ban on recruitment in various government departments the Chief Minister did not enforce it in the education department, realising the importance of teachers. He hoped that the Government would fill all vacant teacher posts.

General secretary of the All India Government Employees Association J.L. Bhan said that both the Government and the employees should always work together as they had the onerous responsibility of serving the people.

Various concessions announced by the Chief Minister, however, did not satisfy the anganwadi and noon meal workers, who felt that she had let them down.

"Aggrieved" anganwadi and noon meal workers, after the Chief Minister left the venue, surrounded the Chief Secretary, N. Narayanan, protesting against the Government's silence over their long pending demands.

They said that they had expected the Chief Minister to give them time scale or increase their consolidated pay. But, to their disappointment, she did not announce any benefits for them.

However, the Chief Secretary assured them that their demand would be discussed with the Chief Minister in a day or two.

Earlier, Government employees from different parts of the State took out a huge rally to the conference venue from Virugampakkam, which was flagged off by Revenue Minister O. Panneerselvam.

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