Residents of V.M. Chathram who came to Tirunelveli Corporation to submit a petition on Tuesday seeking to stop the pipe-laying work into the tank near their area.
| Photo Credit: A. SHAIKMOHIDEEN
The non-payment of provident fund contributions to sanitary workers by a private contract firm has triggered unrest among the workers.In a petition submitted to Assistant Commissioner Mahalakshmi during the weekly grievances redress meeting held on Tuesday, the petitioners said the private contract firm handling sanitary operations in the Tirunelveli Corporation had been deducting the employees’ provident fund contribution from the salaries of temporary sanitary workers.Even though the workers’ share has been deducted from their monthly salary since 2019, the amount has not been credited to their Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation accounts till August 2026, they alleged.The petitioners said non-payment of the PF contribution after deducting the workers’ share from their salary was a crime. Despite several protests, the private firm had failed to remit the amount to the workers’ PF accounts, they alleged.They urged the Corporation to take action against the private firm and ensure that the PF contribution was credited to every worker’s account without delay.A group of residents from V.M. Chathram, carrying empty pots, submitted a petition opposing the laying of drinking water pipelines inside Perkkankulam and Murthy Nainarkulam.They alleged that the pipelines were being laid in violation of the directions of the Madras High Court and urged the Corporation to stop the work immediately.“Moreover, any damage to the drinking water pipelines now being laid inside the waterbodies cannot be attended to when the tanks are full,” they said.Another petition submitted by the residents of Mohammed Naina Mosque Street in Pettai sought action against roadside meat shops that dump chicken waste into drainage channels.“Besides blocking the flow of sewage, the chicken waste attracts street dogs and pigs, posing a threat to the public. Moreover, the insanitary conditions prevailing in the area could lead to the outbreak of diseases. Hence, the Corporation should take action against these roadside meat shops,” the petition said.Residents of Chidambara Nagar in Ward 1 of the Corporation also submitted a petition seeking the removal of thorny bushes along roads and the planting of tree saplings. Published - August 04, 2026 09:32 pm IST
