TIRUCHY: Cleanliness workers of Thanjavur Corporation staged a sit-in protest demanding that the civic body repay the loan amount of Rs 10.12 crore obtained by them as the money had already been deducted from their wages, while the Mayor refused the charges on Tuesday.

It is said that the workers of Thanjavur Corporation received notice from the Cooperative Bank asking them to repay the default amount for their loans.

They said that the loan amount was deducted from their wages and alleged that the funds deducted were not credited to their loan account.

The protesting staff said that a pending amount of Rs 10.12 crore, including Rs 2.14 crore of the retired staff, has to be repaid by the civic administration.

They demanded that the Corporation settle the fund immediately; otherwise, they warned of continuing the protest. On information, the Commissioner Kannan held talks with the agitating sanitary staff.

While speaking to reporters, Mayor Shan Ramanathan said, the deducted fund during the period between June 2017 and December 2021 was not repaid. Steps are being initiated to settle the fund. So far, a fund of Rs 1 crore has been credited, and the remaining fund would be settled gradually, the Mayor said.