The Communist Party of India (CPI) has called on the Tamil Nadu government to promptly regularize numerous differently-abled individuals who have been working in government and government-aided departments for years without essential service benefits or job security. These employees, despite providing continuous service for an extended period, are currently on temporary arrangements like lump-sum pay, consolidated wages, and daily wage systems, lacking permanent status and equal pay compared to regular government staff.
The CPI highlighted that Government Order No. 151 in Tamil Nadu mandates the regularization of differently-abled persons who have completed over two years of service in government departments without any conditions. However, the government has not implemented this order effectively, causing financial hardship and uncertainty for thousands of employees.
In response to this issue, the Tamil Nadu All Departments Differently-Abled Employees Federation initiated an indefinite sit-in protest on December 29 in front of the Tamil Nadu State Commissionerate for the Differently Abled in Chennai. The protestors, accompanied by their families, are demanding the immediate implementation of the government order and the regularization of their services.
The CPI state secretary emphasized the government’s repeated neglect of the legitimate demands of differently-abled employees, labeling the denial of permanent status and basic employment rights as unjust and inhumane. Urging the Tamil Nadu government to engage in immediate discussions with the protesting employees’ representatives, he called for swift action to address their grievances.
The CPI’s state executive committee has expressed full support for the protest, urging the government to fulfill its moral and legal obligations to differently-abled employees promptly. The party cautioned that a lack of action would escalate the protest and undermine the confidence of vulnerable groups in the government’s commitment to social justice and inclusive governance.
