CHENNAI: CPI state secretary R Mutharasan has called on the State government to take immediate action to provide regularised time-scale pay to village assistants employed under the revenue department, ending discrimination between employees.

In a statement, Mutharasan highlighted that over 15,000 village assistants currently serving in the department are facing discrimination in getting their salaries. While other staff within the revenue department receive fixed salaries under a regular time-scale system, village assistants continue to work on a special time-based honorarium, creating a significant disparity, the Left leader said.

"This unjust pay structure has left village assistants in a vulnerable position and caused considerable emotional distress," said Mutharasan, who also pointed out that the absence of regularised pay has led to the complete discontinuation of compassionate appointments, a policy that had been in place for over 23 years.

"As a consequence, a large number of families have been severely affected in the past two years alone," he added.

Mutharasan urged the state government to acknowledge the legitimate demands of village assistants and extend the regularised time-scale pay to them, in line with other government employees.