Protesting against being denied an audience with Chief Minister Jayalalithaa to air their grievances,about 150 health workers,including women, today squatted on the road leading to Kodanadu where she is now staying, paralysing traffic for nearly three hours.
The workers wanted to submit a memorandum, seeking action
against an Assistant Director, health services (TB), Vasanthan, who they said had issued 750 appointment orders for 70 vacant posts of field and laboratory assistants and TB inspectors 18 months ago, allegedly on recommendations of some politicians.
They also alleged that Vasanthan had taken bribes ranging
from between Rs three lakh to Rs five lakh for appointments.
The workers claimed they had not been paid for the last
18 months. Two co-workers had committed suicide and four had tried to do so on account of this even as Vasanthan was transferred to Tirupur after a preliminary enquiry, they said.
Police said they wanted to meet the CM and submit a memorandum, seeking his immediate arrest and also refund of their money given for appointments.
They were miffed at being denied an audience with the CM
and not convinced with the assurance of her Personal Assistant who received the memorandum that their grievances would be looked into and squatted in the middle of the road, some two kms from Kodanadu guest house, police said.
Joint Director, Health Services, Bhanumathi came to the
spot and asked them to prepare a list of those who had taken money for appointments and to file individual complaints to police, who could take action against them.
She also informed them that Vasanthan had already been suspended and was on long leave after his transfer to Tirupur.
The workers then dispersed, police said.
