Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Friday announced that former ‘Makkal Nala Paniyalargal’ (welfare workers) would be given priority in the appointment of project coordinators under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) in 12,524 village panchayats.
When AIADMK MLA Sellur K. Raju (Madurai West) voiced concerns in the Assembly, Mr. Stalin intervened and said the decision was made after talks with the former workers. But it would be subject to the outcome of the litigation pending before the Supreme Court.
If appointed, they would additionally hold responsibilities in the village panchayats and be paid ₹7,500 a month, Mr. Stalin said. In the case of former welfare workers who died in the past 10 years, their legal heirs would be given priority in the appointment of coordinators, if they desired, Mr. Stalin said.
In September 1989, the DMK government appointed 25,234 welfare workers in 12,617 village panchayats (a woman and a man for every village panchayat) to provide employment for educated youths and to aid in government schemes. The AIADMK government cancelled these appointments in July 1991.
When the DMK government created these posts again in February 1997, the AIADMK government cancelled them in June 2001. In June 2006, the DMK government created 12,618 fresh posts, which were cancelled by the AIADMK government in November 2011.
Many petitions were filed in the Madras High Court, which ruled in favour of the workers in August 2014. The AIADMK government challenged the judgment with a special leave petition in the Supreme Court and obtained an interim stay on it.
In August 2017, the special leave petitions were converted into civil appeals and they were last heard in February this year. Considering the long-pending requests of these workers, the Rural Development Department held talks with them and then with legal experts. The government has made the fresh decisions that will be subject to the Supreme Court’s judgment.
