From
Members of the district unit of Tamil Nadu Revenue Officials’Association staged a dharna in front of the chamber of Collector K. Veera Raghava Rao here on Thursday, alleging that they were offended by remarks made against them by the latter.
After Taluk tahsildars, who are Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs), staged a protest as part of the State-wide agitation against inter-district transfers for election duty, the revenue officials squatted in front of the Collector’s chamber in the evening and protested against his style of functioning.
Taking exception to Mr. Rao allegedly warning and threatening the revenue staff for not speeding up the process of identifying the beneficiaries of the small and marginal farmers for payment of ₹2,000, the first instalment under the recently launched Prime Minister Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme, the staff staged a protest seeking remedy.
The revenue staff also alleged that they were made to wait for long hours late in the evening when they visited the Collector’s chamber for obtaining signatures in files or called for meetings. As Mr. Rao did not come out from his chamber for long, police came to the spot and asked the staff to vacate. The protesting staff continued shouting slogans after which Mr. Rao came out.
Addressing the staff, he explained the intricacies in the district administration and said he was there to serve the people and ensure overall development of the district. He never meant to hurt or offend the officials whenever he discussed issues with them, he said. If the revenue staff were offended by his remarks he would ensure such things would not recur in future, he assured. Accepting the Collector’s explanation, the protesting staff disbursed late in the evening.