Continuous Tiruvallur revenue officials strike hits public services

CHENNAI: Public services at several revenue department offices under the Tiruvallur collectorate have been severely affected over the past week as employees continued their strike and protest demonstrations, leaving hundreds of people, who had travelled from different parts of the district, struggling to access basic land-related services.

From early morning on Thursday, visitors arriving at offices connected to the district administration found many counters either closed or functioning with skeleton staff. The disruption particularly affected services such as patta transfer, patta corrections and land extent rectifications — procedures that require direct interaction with revenue officials.

The protest has been organised by the Federation of Revenue Department Associations, which represents several employees, including tahsildars, deputy tahsildars, revenue inspectors, and village administrative officers.

The protesters say many posts in the department are vacant, forcing officials to handle multiple tasks. According to association leaders, this shortage has increased workloads, especially with new government schemes and administrative duties.

Employees are demanding regularisation of certain categories of staff and improved pay structures, arguing that some positions continue on temporary or non-regular scales, despite long years of service.

Officials claim they are under intense pressure to complete tasks such as issuing land records, handling grievance petitions, election-related duties, and implementing welfare schemes with limited manpower. Associations have also demanded improved working conditions and administrative reforms to reduce bureaucratic pressure on field-level staff.

Many residents said they had travelled long distances hoping to resolve pending land documentation issues but were forced to return without any assistance.

R. Ramesh, a Chennai resident travelling to Periyapalayam revenue divisional office for the last one week to get patta on his ancestral property in Periyapalayam, said he had taken leave from work and travelled nearly 40 km to submit documents for a patta correction.

“When we reached the office, we saw people protesting outside and the counters were closed. No one informed us earlier that services would not be available. For people like us, who depend on daily wages, this is a big loss,” he said.

A group of residents waiting outside the revenue office expressed frustration over the lack of communication regarding the disruption. “We came from interior villages with all the required documents. But officials were not available to process applications. At least the administration should inform the public in advance if offices are not functioning,” said Lakshmi, another visitor.

Protesters gathered in front of the collectorate complex, raising slogans and pressing their demands.

Suresh Babu, a civic activist from Tiruvallur, said the situation had created confusion among the public. “People come to the collectorate expecting solutions to their problems. When offices remain closed due to sudden protests, it directly affects ordinary residents who rely on these services,” he said.

Officials from the district administration said efforts were being made to restore normal functioning of the offices and address the backlog once the agitation ends.