Agitating conservancy workers evicted from protest site, Oppn lashes out at ruling DMK
Opposing privatisation, the workers were protesting in front of Rippon Buildings, the headquarters of Chennai Corporation since August 1.
Chief Minister MK Stalin said his Dravidian model government would never compromise on the dignity of conservancy workers who work hard whether it rains or shines, and announced special initiatives for them.
After the Cabinet meeting led by Stalin here at the Secretariat, Finance Minister Thangam Thenarasu told reporters that a special health scheme will be implemented for conservancy workers in view of occupational hazards they face.
In order to detect occupational diseases and treat workers, a separate health scheme will be implemented.
As many as 30,000 houses under a housing scheme, financial support for children of workers to pursue higher education, free breakfast for workers, ₹10 lakh to the kin of a worker if he/she dies in harness forms part of the six special initiatives.
Thennarasu appealed to workers to resume their work. The police action earlier came hours after the Madras High Court, said: "We hope and expect that in the name of agitation, the pavements/pathways roads shall not be allowed to be blocked." The workers have been opposing the privatisation of sanitation operations . AIADMK chief and Tamil Nadu Leader of Opposition, Edappadi K Palaniswami strongly condemned the midnight police action against the workers. When Stalin was in opposition he staged 'dramas' urging permanent jobs for them. "No government in independent India has crushed the protest of ordinary sanitation workers like this. The government will have to provide answer for every drop of tears of workers," he said in a social media post.
TVK founder-actor Vijay hit out at the DMK government as 'fascist' for the police action against workers and he dubbed IT as inhuman and atrocious as workers, who protested peacefully for their rights, were detained midnight.
The workers are protesting seeking fulfillment of assurances made by the DMK when it was in opposition.
Why the assurance has not been honoured yet, Vijay asked. The workers should be provided alternative site to continue their protest.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
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