Thanjavur Corporation deducts EMIs from cleanliness workers, fails to deposit in loan a/c

TIRUCHY: Every month, the Thanjavur City Corporation deducted amounts from the salary of cleanliness workers, who had availed loans from Thanjavur Cooperative Credit Society. This deduction, including interest, was supposed to be EMIs. It was thus a shock for the hundreds of workers when they started receiving default notices from the society, which also refused to disburse fresh loans to workers. What then happened to that money?

Demanding that the corporation settle the loans, the workers who received the notices staged a protest on Monday.

According to the protesters, the permanent workers had obtained loans from the Thanjavur Cooperative Credit Society during various periods from 2017. Of them, 263 are still on the rolls, 135 retired, and 85 died. Over the years, the civic body deducted money from their salaries, working out to Rs 10.12 crore in all.

However, this amount was not credited to their respective loan accounts, and they started receiving notices since June. Also, the credit society started refusing to disburse loans to workers due to the issue. When they staged a protest, the corporation commissioner assured that the money would be settled before December. But many continued to receive default notices.

Irate over this, the workers went on a protest on Monday. The protesters asked the corporation to deposit the deducted amount into their loan account immediately. The workers also asked the corporation commissioner to resolve the issue as promised, instead of making the affected workers deal with the credit society over alleged loan default.

Also, they added, the provident fund amount that was deducted from their salaries should be credited to their EPFO accounts.