Chennai, Nov 17 (PTI) The members of the Federation of Associations of Revenue Employees of Tamil Nadu will boycott SIR work from tomorrow, protesting against “excessive workload, insufficient manpower, deadline pressure, and inadequate training and funding,” the association said on Monday.
The state-wide protest from November 18 was to seek proper training for all officials, appointment of additional officers as Booth Level Offices and deployment of sufficient strength at the BLO level.
The association has demanded that the collectors immediately stop holding review meetings late till midnight and having three video conferences daily in the name of reviews.
The ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral roll, which concludes on December 4, involves distributing and collecting forms, uploading them online, and holding review meetings.
The association claimed that SIR was being implemented in haste and without planning.
In addition to revenue staff, anganwadi workers, noon-meal workers, municipal and corporation staff, teachers and all department unions who have been drafted as BLOs will join the protest, the association said in a statement.
Tahsildars, Village Administrative Officers, village assistants, surveyors, inspectors and office assistants of the revenue department would take part in the protest.
The association’s decision to boycott has made the ruling DMK reiterate its demand for providing ample time to carry out the updation even after Assembly election while the BJP criticised the government employees saying they can’t agitate against the government.
“The SIR was fixed for one month. The SIR work should be completed by December 4. So, this could be the reason for the officials to pressure the BLOs,” DMK senior leader T K S Elangovan said.
“I don’t know what problems the Federation of Revenue Associations is facing, but we want SIR to be extended after the Assembly election. That’s our stand,” Elangovan told reporters here reacting to the employees’ decision to boycott SIR process from tomorrow.
Condemning the association for announcing the boycott, BJP senior and former Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan accused the ruling DMK dispensation of a deliberate “mischief” and said the state government should extend its cooperation to SIR.
“I appeal to the state government to facilitate the democratic SIR process. Government officials can’t agitate against the government because its their responsibility to carry out the task of the government,” Tamilisai told reporters here.
The association said some district collectors should immediately stop harassing subordinate officers in the name of review meetings. It urged the state Chief Electoral Officer and the Election Commission of India to intervene immediately in this matter and create a smooth environment. PTI JSP JSP ADB
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