TIRUCHY: Staff attached to Direct Procurement Centres (DPCs) under the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation (TNCSC) staged a protest in Thanjavur on Monday, demanding long-pending regularisation of their employment.

The protesters said Food and Civil Supplies Minister R Sakkarapani had assured them during a visit to Thanjavur that their services would be regularised by December 2024, but the promise has not been fulfilled so far. They issued a warning that forcing them to intensify the strike would affect paddy procurement, urging the government to fulfil their demands.

According to protesters, around 1,500 clerks, helpers and security personnel are working in DPCs across Thanjavur district alone.

State coordinator Fahad Mohammed, who led the protest, said the minister had earlier promised to regularise 1,400 DPC staff in the first phase and the remaining workers subsequently, but no action had been taken to date.

He appealed to the government to honour the assurance, failing which the staff would intensify their agitation.

The protesters raised slogans in support of their demand and later submitted a petition to the district collector.