CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government on Friday categorically ruled out the regularisation of temporary government workers, asserting that such appointments, by design and by law, cannot be made permanent, and warning that ongoing protests were being fuelled by external and political instigation rather than genuine labour grievances.
Responding to questions from reporters on agitations by temporary employees, State Minister for Health and Family Welfare department Ma Subramanian said these workers were engaged on 11-month contractual terms and reappointed after a mandatory break, a system followed uniformly across States. “There is no provision to regularise such appointments. Not just Tamil Nadu, no State government in India can do so without violating court directives,” he said.
He stressed that the judiciary had consistently held that permanent appointments must follow communal rotation and established recruitment norms. “Any attempt to regularise employees appointed without such procedures will invite court intervention,” the Minister said, adding that protests demanding otherwise were misleading workers and the public.
Subramanian alleged that the present agitation was being orchestrated by individuals from outside the State. “This is not an organised government employees’ protest, nor is it driven by recognised unions. It is being instigated by private individuals. We have lodged a complaint against a person from Bengaluru who attempted to provoke unrest,” he said while addressing reporters at Kotturpuram.
Rejecting allegations that the government was attempting to suppress dissent, the Minister said peaceful protests were a democratic right. “I come from a trade union background and have led agitations myself. Our intention is not to delegitimise protests, but to prevent motivated movements aimed at pressuring the government during an election period,” he said.
Earlier in the day, Subramanian along with MSME Minister T M Anbarasan, briefly inspected ongoing housing works at Kotturpuram.