Jayakumar urges TN's striking employees, teachers to makes feasible demands

Government teachers and employees should not protest with demands that cannot be fulfilled by the government, Tamil Nadu Fisheries Minister D.Jayakumar said on Saturday. In a statement issued here, Jayakumar said members of the Joint Action Committee of Tamil Nadu Teachers Organisation and Government Employees Organisation (JACTTO-GEO) should not protest with demands that cannot be fulfilled by the government.

Members of the JACTTO-GEO are protesting with demands like reverting to the old pension scheme, hike in pay for secondary grade teachers among others. Referring to the major demands of the two organisations, Jayakumar said implementing old pension scheme will result in the bankruptcy of the government. Employee salary and pensions would have to be paid borrowing money leaving nothing for welfare schemes for the poor.

He said an expert committee that studied the issue of reverting to old pension scheme has ruled it out. On the demand of secondary grade school teachers pay to be equivalent with that of their counterparts in Central government, Jayakumar said the number of such teachers is low.

According to Jayakumar, it is not possible just to hike the pay for secondary grade school teachers as the pay for other cadres would have to be raised. It would also affect the vertical and horizontal pay parity amongst government employees. He said out of the Rs. 164,950 crore total revenue of the Tamil Nadu government, salaries and pension take away Rs. 77,533 crore.

In addition, the administrative expenses account for Rs. 10,837 crore and interest on borrowings total to Rs. 28,729 crore. Jayakumar said the amount for welfare schemes is Rs. 47,851 crore. The government is implementing welfare and developmental works with the above and borrowings.