VAOs press their charter of demands

The members of the Tamil Nadu Village Administrative Officers’ Association staged a protest over a 15-fold charter of demands here on Friday.

The protesters, who have been on a relay hunger strike since February 17, have demanded that the government meet with the protesting association members to resolve their demands.

Their demands include special allowance for conduct of Jamabandhi, option of positions as drivers for village office assistants with driver’s licence, village office assistants upon retirement should be provided with 50% of the pay received at the time of retirement; recruiting village office assistants through Tamil Nadu Recruitment Board, revocation of new pension scheme and restoration of the old pension scheme, halt to night duty of VAOs, special allowance for work done during natural calamities and disasters, reduction of seniority years from 10 to 6.

The VAO’s association has also called for raise in promotions for the VAOs and VAO’s assistants. Accordingly, the promotions should entail raise of 20% for village administrative officers and an additional 10% for village office assistants, the VAOs association has demanded.

The VAOs have warned of escalating their protests if the government does not accede to their demands.