TN This Week: Two Women’s Scheme Workers’ Unions Stage Statewide Protests

NewsClick brings you a round-up of the important developments from Tamil Nadu in the past week.

The Tamil Nadu Police on Thursday gunned down two history-sheeters in an encounter after they “tried attacking police officials”. The increasing number of encounters in the state has raised concerns among certain sections.

The Tamil Nadu Assembly met for three days this week for the monsoon session. The finance minister placed supplementary estimates for additional expenditure. AIADMK members were evicted from the House on Wednesday following commotion regarding the Speaker refusing to drop three expelled members of their party. Read more

The death toll in the explosion at a cracker manufacturing unit in Tamil Nadu's Ariyalur district increased to 12 on Tuesday. The issue of repeated such blasts was discussed in the Tamil Nadu Assembly. The state revenue minister said it was due to untrained workers who were not familiar with handling and manufacturing crackers.

CPI(M) called for a protest against raids on the NewsClick office, its employees, and contributors. Representatives of political parties such as the DMK, CPI, VCK, and MDMK, and organisations such as the Dravidar Kazhagam (DK) and the May 17 Movement participated and condemned the attack on journalists. Tamil Nadu Union of Journalists (TUJ), Madras Union of Journalists (MUJ), and many senior journalists participated and raised concerns about the alarming deterioration of press freedom.

The Directorate of Enforcement took possession of 15 immovable properties owned by A Raja, former Union Cabinet Minister of Environment and Forest, in a disproportionate assets case.

PROTESTS & MOVEMENTS

ICDS WORKERS’ PROTEST

Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) workers held protests at district headquarters across Tamil Nadu on Friday, demanding departmental action against the senior officials named in the suicide note of a woman worker. B Amsavalli (42) from Thaikal area in Madurai died by suicide on October 9 and left a suicide note allegedly accusing two persons of torture. Even after four days, police have not arrested the officials for “abetting the suicide”. The workers urged the government to immediately arrest them.

MAKKALAI THEDI MARUTHUVAM WORKERS PROTEST

Volunteers of Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam staged a protest across Tamil Nadu demanding a regular pay scale of Rs 26,000 per month on Monday. The members said they have been discharging duties on par with the nurses on the government rolls and should be recognised as workers. They also demanded travel, food, and special allowances, free scooters to reach the patients on time, and medical insurance for all volunteers.

DIFFERENTLY-ABLED PROTEST

Tamil Nadu Association for the Rights of All Types of Differently Abled and Caregivers (TARATDAC) held a protest against the Union government, saying that the government is cheating them. The MGNREGA wages have been withheld for three months, and the protesters insisted on the payment of delay compensation along with the wages.

PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS’ PROTEST

The Primary School Teachers' Association has decided to withdraw the protest scheduled for Friday after a dialogue between the Association and the Minister of Education on Thursday. The government agreed to address 11 out of the 30 requests put forth by the Primary School Teachers’ Association.

‘WE WANT CAUVERY WATER’

More than 1.50 lakh shops downed shutters in support of the bandh called by the farmers' associations across the Delta region on Wednesday. The Confederation of Delta Farmers Associations called to condemn the Karnataka government for not releasing water for Delta irrigation despite the Supreme Court’s direction.

The Tamil Nadu Assembly passed a resolution to demand Cauvery water as per the Apex court's direction. All parties, other than the BJP, supported the resolution.