The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : “Road mazdoors’ pleas to be addressed soon”

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Tuesday, Jan 01, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

“Road mazdoors’ pleas to be addressed soon”

Staff Reporter

Coming Budget will provide much-expected relief: Minister

KARUR: The State Government would consider with compassion the pleas of the road mazdoors and take a decision on their pending pleas at the right time.

Till then, they have to exercise restraint, Highways Minister Vellakoil M.P. Swaminathan said here on Sunday.

Addressing a Special State meeting of the Tamil Nadu Highways Road Workers’ Association here, Mr. Swaminathan said that the DMK regime took a lot of efforts to set right the problems in the department after it came to power in 2006. A lot of vacant positions needed to be filled up and even now positions were being filled up through appropriate procedures.

Similarly, the roads that were left in a bad shape without undertaking due repair works by the pervious government had to be repaired extensively.

That too the DMK regime took up and was completing the works on a priority basis.

As regards the problems of the road mazdoors “who were targeted during the AIADMK regime,” Mr. Swaminathan pointed out that a total of 144 workers had died during the “harrowed times” and that their legal heirs were being provided job in addition to Rs. One lakh as financial assistance.

Efforts were being taken to write to the concerned people to make them aware of the benefits due to them.

The DMK regime was aware of the need to rehabilitate the “oppressed road mazdoors” and the coming Budget session of the State Assembly could provide the much-expected relief to the road mazdoors and deliver them from their sufferings, he said.

Suspension period

Their pleas including considering the suspension period as leave period would be considered with sympathy and due action would be taken on them, he added.

The State Government was concentrating on repairing the roads damaged during the recent rains. While previously only diploma holders were appointed for the posts of Road Inspector, the government has relaxed norms and was considering appointing ITI trade certificate holders for the position, the Minister added.

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