CPM leaders meet CM with slew of demands including paying compensation to rape victims of Vachathi

CHENNAI: CPM state secretary K Balakrishnan, along with politburo member G Ramakrishnan and other leaders, met Chief Minister MK Stalin at Anna Arivalayam on Sunday over his party's plan to hold a conference on the State rights in Chennai on behalf of the INDIA alliance and also urged the state government to pay the compensation of Rs 10 lakh each to the 18 rape victims of Vachathi incident.

CPM central committee member P Shanmugham and state secretariat member K Kanagaraj were also part of the meeting. They also presented a memorandum on a slew of issues demanding action.

The CPM requested the chief minister to implement the Madras High Court order reaffirming the Dharmapuri trial court verdict convicting the government officials on the Vachathi case and ordered payment of Rs 10 lakh compensation to 18 rape victims including Rs 5 lakh collected from the accused.

As per the court order, one family member of each of the 18 victims should be given a permanent government job and also submit a report on the development of Vachathi and improving the livelihood of the people to the court.

The tribal people should be given two acres of land, permanent jobs and houses for those who don't have one. The party also sought payment of compensation under the SC/ST Act.

Besides, CPM also demanded the government to consider the demands of the MSMEs to reduce the fixed charges and roll back peak hour charges. It also demanded the state to consider the pleas of the retired transport corporation employees on hiking their dearness allowance, implementing of the old pension scheme, fulfilling teacher's demands, salary hikes to government doctors and payment of pending dues to Tangedco employees as per their wage agreement.