TN revenue employees federation to boycott SIR work from 18 Nov

The Federation of Associations of Revenue Employees of Tamil Nadu declared on Monday that their members will boycott SIR work from Tuesday, 18 November, protesting "excessive workload, insufficient manpower, deadline pressure, and inadequate training and funding".

The state-wide move was to seek proper training for all officials, appointment of additional Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and deployment of sufficient strength at the BLO level.

The federation has demanded that the district collectors immediately stop holding review meetings late till midnight and having three video conferences daily in the name of review.

The ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which concludes on 4 December, involves distributing and collecting forms, uploading them online, and holding review meetings. The federation claimed that the 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 move to stay away from SIR related works, the union 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 4 December. So, this could be the reason for the officials to pressurise 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 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 it's their responsibility to carry out the task of the government,” Tamilisai told reporters in Chennai.

The federation 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.

According to the state coordinator of the federation, M.P. Murugaian, the members would proceed with the boycott as announced. “We have petitioned the collectors of 32 districts this evening as part of the "mass appeal" programme and held protests in the taluk and district headquarters," Murugaian told PTI.

"We will stop all work related only to the SIR on November 18 to highlight our difficulties and demands. However, the regular work of the revenue department will go on as it will not be affected due to the boycott," he said.