The one-day token protest by a section of officials of the State Transport and Road Safety Commissionerate pressing a charter of demands, including promotions and filling-up of vacancies, paralysed the functioning of Regional Transport Offices, across the State.
D. Rajan, an office-bearer of the Tamil Nadu Pokkuvaruthu Thurai Paniyalar Ondrippu, said the reason for the clerical staff going on strike was the proposal to remove the promotions for non-technical staff, who have been allotted 20% quota to become Regional Transport Officers.
At present, there are many vacancies for RTOs and also vacancies in other posts, including record clerk. As per the norms, 80% of those having technical background and 20% of staff from non-technical background were promoted as RTOs. In the latest proposal, the 20% reservations for non-technical staff to be promoted as RTOs would be removed. And, this triggered the protest, he said.
R. Senthil, a resident of Iyyappanthangal, said a number of persons at the Poonamallee RTO who had come for renewing their licences, obtaining fitness certificates for vehicles, and driving licences had to wait for more than three hours. as the gate was closed. Only in the afternoon, a senior official at the RTO said it was due to the strike by clerical staff that various functions in the office had been delayed.
Several RTOs in the city and State were unable to process works due to the protest. A senior official said during a review meeting, chaired by Chief Secretary Shiv Das Meena, it was noted that several non-technical staff without adequate computer knowledge were being promoted and hence were facing difficulties in the day-to-day affairs. So it was decided to find a better working methodology, he said.