Chennai: Thousands of members of the Joint Action Committee of Tamil Nadu Teachers’ Organisations - Government Employees’ Organisations (Jactto-Geo) were arrested on Tuesday for trying to picket in front of the secretariat to press their charter of demands.
Even after preventive arrests by the police in districts and places like Chennai Moffusil Bus Terminus, Perungalathur and central railway station, thousands of teachers and government employees gathered on Wallajah Road in Chepauk to march towards the secretariat.
Their demands included scrapping the new pension scheme and rectifying pay anomalies in the 7th pay commission recommendation.
The protesters tried to breach the barricades and staged road roko before they were arrested.
Over 6,000 police personnel were deployed on security duty on the roads leading to the secretariat including Wallajah Road and Kamaraj Salai. The police personnel checked all the vehicles which moved from Lighthouse to Secretariat on Kamarajar salai at various points looking for protesters.
A three-tier security was in place to remove the protesters in a phased manner. Government employees without valid ID were also denied access into secretariat on Tuesday.
The arrested Jactto-Geo members were taken to Rajarathinam Stadium in Egmore and various marriage halls and community halls in the city.
M. Subramanian, state co-ordinator, Jactto-Geo said, “Despite the preventive arrests thousands of teachers participated in the protest. We have decided to continue our protest and not to disperse until the minister holds talks with us.”
Several leaders including DMK working president M.K. Stalin, PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss, TNCC president S.Thirunavukarasar and VCK leader Thol.Thirumavalavan condemned the state government for arresting the government staff at various parts of the state to thwart the protest.
Stalin met the protesters at Rajarathinam Stadium and urged the state government to hold talks with Jactto-Geo on their demands. Earlier, fisheries, personnel and administrative reforms minister D. Jayakumar said that 70 per cent of government's revenue was spent on the welfare of government employees and appealed them to withdraw their protest.
