Coimbatore: More than 60 members of the Tamil Nadu Direct Recruitment (Group-II) Revenue Officers’ Association (TNDRROA) boycotted work and staged a sit-in-protest on the Coimbatore collectorate premises on Friday, urging the collector to revoke suspension of deputy tahsildar Selvam.
Selvam was placed under suspension by collector G S Sameeran on February 9 after his name was mentioned in an FIR registered by the directorate of vigilance and anti-corruption (DVAC) and he was booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
The deputy tahsildar was on leave after testing positive for Covid -19 and was not engaged in corruption, a protester said. “When the trap was laid by DVAC against revenue department officials, Selvam was not on duty. However, his name was included in the first information report. Based on the FIR, the collector placed him under suspension,” he said. “Some staff members were given memos and disciplinary actions were taken against them for silly reasons. Such actions should be revoked immediately.”
“Officials in revenue inspector cadre, working at government circuit house in Race Course, are forced to bear the expenses of VIPs and VVIPs, who visit Coimbatore. The district administration should bear such expenses,” the protestor said.
TNDRROA is planning to launch an indefinite strike at the collectorate from Monday, he added. tnn