TIRUCHY: In a message to assuage protesting members of JACTO-GEO, representing Tamil Nadu teachers' and government employees' organisations, School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi on Tuesday hinted at good news before Pongal, after the previous round of talks failed.

Addressing a gathering after distributing awards to distinguished educationists in Tiruchy, the minister said that Chief Minister MK Stalin has been working on a resolution and was confident of an amicable settlement before January 6.

We have explained to the protesters that the State government is intent on honouring the legitimate demands of government staff and teachers, despite the Union government failing to release funds for Tamil Nadu, the minister said.

Turning to Union minister Piyush Goyal's visit to the State to strengthen the NDA in Tamil Nadu, the minister said the BJP leadership can depute any number of Union ministers to the Dravidian heartland, but their combined strength won't stand infront of the mighty DMK alliance.

“Our focus is on implementing welfare projects for the people of Tamil Nadu. We will carry on executing people-friendly schemes during the Dravidian Model 2.0 regime," he said, expressing confidence of a win in the upcoming Assembly elections.

Meanwhile, the minister said schools should not hold special classes during the holidays. “Since the holidays are meant for refreshing, the extra classes would lead to stress among the students. Schools, especially the private ones, should strictly desist from such divergence,” he said.

He added that government schools are instructed to avoid dilapidated school buildings, urging them to immediately shift students to either rented buildings or community halls until new buildings are constructed, underscoing the safety of the students.

Meanwhile, DMK Lok Sabha MP Thamizhachi Thangapandian, a special invitee at the event, said she had played the role of Andal in a dance drama on Ramanujar by the distinguished dance exponent Zakir Hussain, in response to right-wing groups raising a controversy over the rationalist party's Parliamentarian adorning the role of the Bhakti poet. “There is nothing to politicise. People who knew me would understand this,” she said.