TN This Week: More Than 21 Boars Dead, Construction Workers Demand Pension Hike

At least 21 wild boars have reportedly died in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve area in Nilgiris within a week. Forest officials said African Swine Flu may be the cause of the death.

After criticism from farmers’ unions and state opposition party All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), the Tamil Nadu government included sugarcane as part of the pongal gift hamper for 2023. Token distribution for the hampers began on January 3. The hamper will also contain 1 kg each of raw rice and sugar, and Rs 1,000 in cash.

The ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) allies and activists have written to Chief Minister MK Stalin seeking to scrap the government order which allows quarrying and mining in the buffer zones of reserve forests by amending the Tamil Nadu Minor Mineral Concession Rules, 1959.

Around 5,000 members of the Jain community in Chennai took out a procession on January 6 to protest against the conversion of a Jain temple into a tourist spot in Gujarat.

The protests against the airport in and around Parandur village, Kanchipuram completed 164 days on January 7.

A life-sized statue of BR Ambedkar was vandalised at Neduvaramabakkam village near Ponneri in Tamil Nadu’s Tiruvallur district on January 2.

The Government of Tamil Nadu issued orders for setting up the Tamil Nadu Green Climate Fund worth Rs 1,000 Crore. It will support various climate change initiatives, mitigation, and greening projects.

E Thirumahan Everaa, Congress MLA from Erode East constituency passed away on January 4 due to a heart attack.

NewsClick brings you a round-up of the happenings this week in Tamil Nadu.

JACTO-GEO DEMANDS PERSIST

On January 1, the state government hiked the Dearness Allowance (DA) for government employees including teachers, pensioners, and family pensioners from 34% to 38% with immediate effect. 

However, the Joint Action Council of Teachers’ Organisations-Government Employees’ Organisations (JACTO-GEO) went ahead with its protest planned for January 5 for their other demands. Read more

The state government, on January 7, also sanctioned funds to overcome the pay discrepancy of secondary grade teachers (SGT) after an indefinite hunger strike. Read more

CONSTRUCTION WORKERS PROTEST

Construction Workers Federation of India (CWFI), affiliated with the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) staged protests on January 3 demanding an increase in monthly pension to Rs 3,000 per month.

‘REINSTATE SACKED NURSES’

More than 2,400 nursing staff personnel in Tamil Nadu were relieved from work on New Year’s eve.

Under the leadership of the Tamil Nadu Medical Recruitment Board Staff Nurses Empowerment Association (TNMNEA), the sacked nurses held protests in district headquarters on January 2. Read more

GIRL MISSING FROM ISHA CENTRE FOUND DEAD

The body of 34-year-old Subashree, who went missing on December 18, 2022, from the Isha Yoga Centre in Coimbatore was recovered on January 1.

Members of various organisations including All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) staged a protest in front of the Coimbatore South Taluk Office demanding a fair probe into the incident.

FARMERS’ PROTESTS

Farmers from Thanjavur staged a protest on December 31, 2022, demanding to stop the dredging of sand from riverbeds and declare the Delta region as a protected drinking water zone.

As samba harvest is nearing, Delta farmers appealed to the state government to constitute a district-level monitoring committee to streamline the hiring of harvester machines

Moreover, demanding to establish Kumbakonam as a revenue district by bifurcating Thanjavur, residents and members from various associations staged a protest on January 6