Pay salaries by cash to govt and private employees, demands Stalin

Urging the governments to treat the post-demonetisation blues as disaster-like situation, Stalin said that distribution of cash would be a fair practice considering that the time the government employees spent to draw cash at ATMs and banks would affect the delivery of government service to the people. 

The cap on withdrawal of cash, Rs 2,000 from ATMs and Rs 24,000 from banks per week, has created an emergency like situation for the government employees. 

Stating that arrangements have not been made to facilitate withdrawal of new Rs 500 and Rs 2,000 notes in 2.20 lakh ATMs in the country, Stalin said the union government has ordered government employees to draw their salaries by DD and cheque besides advising use plastic money only to cover up its failure. 

Describing the aforesaid order as a punishment imposed on the employees, Stalin said that cash was imperative to handle emergency situations and alternative arrangements would not bore fruition, and instead only cause unduemental duress to the people. It was imperative to consider the justified demand of employees and distribute salaries by cash to all government, PSU and private firm employees and senior citizens till the financial emergency and economic standstill caused by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s demonetisation announcement eases, Stalin asserted. 

Meanwhile, MK  Stalin in Erode held the Tamil Nadu government responsible for suicides of two farmers near Kodumudi in Erode District recently. He said that the two farmers took the extreme step as the government did not release water in Kalingarayan Canal. 

The DMK leader was addressing reporters Kodumudi after paying tribute to farmers Muthusamy (70) of Vengamettur and Ramalingam (47) of Karattupalayam. 

The farmers ended their lives as they could not bear to see their turmeric crops drying without water in Kalingarayan Canal. 

After paying a floral tribute to their images, Stalin consoled their families and also gave a financial assistance of Rs 1 lakh in cash and cheque to each family.