Police under the DMK government arrested a group of sanitation workers who attempted to meet Mayor R. Priya and Commissioner J. Kumaragurubaran at the Ripon Building to submit a petition demanding permanent employment.
The sanitation workers have been protesting against the Chennai Corporation’s decision to outsource sanitation work in the Royapuram and Thiruvika Nagar zones to a private company. They have demanded that the corporation regularise their employment instead of handing over operations to private contractors.
The workers staged a continuous protest in front of the Ripon Building for 13 days from August 1. They were arrested by the police during the agitation and later released following a court order. The case concerning their employment status remains pending before the court.
Despite the legal proceedings, the workers have continued to insist that they be reinstated in their previous posts within the Corporation rather than being absorbed by the private agency. They have been pressing this demand for the past 71 days.
Earlier, the workers had submitted petitions to zonal corporation officials in Royapuram and Thiruvika Nagar reiterating their demand. Subsequently, the Periyamedu police received information that the group was planning to approach the Ripon Building again to present a fresh petition to the Mayor and Commissioner. Anticipating a protest, a large contingent of police personnel was deployed near the Ripon Building on Thursday morning.
Around midday, sanitation workers arrived in batches from various locations including Chennai Central Railway Station and the Metro Railway Station, proceeding towards the Corporation headquarters. Police intercepted them near the railway station, leading to a heated argument between the workers and police personnel.
Following this confrontation, police detained the sanitation workers, citing unlawful assembly in front of the Ripon Building. The arrested workers were taken to different community welfare centres across the city.
They were later released in the evening after being held for several hours.
(With inputs from Hindu Tamil)
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