OPS: Give 14% DA due to pensioners

CHENNAI: AIADMK coordinator and former chief minister O Panneerselvam on Monday urged the DMK government to release the pending 14 per cent Dearness Allowance (DA) hike to the pensioners of the Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board (TWAD Board).

“Whenever the government employees get DA increase, it will also reflect for the staff working in various boards and this was adopted when the AIADMK government was in power,” the AIADMK leader said in a statement.

Alleging that before coming to power, the DMK had promised to implement the old pension scheme for government employees and transport staff, Panneerselvam said when the party came to power, it also stalled the 14 per cent DA increment to TWAD pensioners.

Stating that it was not acceptable to snatch the beneficial aspects of the staff, the AIADMK leader said it was highly condemnable that DMK is adopting an anti-labour policy.

“Since its inception 51 years ago, TWAD Board employees were given DA increment while its pensioners do not receive it,” he said adding “moreover, most of the pensioners say that they were facing a severe financial crisis and they spend the whole pension amount only for medicine and house rent.”

“Therefore, I urge the Chief Minister to take steps for distributing the 14 per cent DA allowance to TWAD pensioners with effect from January 1, 2022,” he said.

Meawhile, Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Pal aniswami on Monday urged the police to conduct a proper inquiry with regard to the complaint lodged by an infrastructure firm G-Square Realtors against media persons.

Palaniswami, in a statement, said the cops have registered the case in a hurried manner without conducting a proper inquiry.

Meanwhile, the publication caught in the row said it had no connection with the arrested accused Kevin, and alleged that G-Square founder Ramajayam and Kevin connived to defame the magazine.