The Tamil Nadu Revenue Employees Association has launched an indefinite boycott of Special Integrated Revenue work across the state, escalating their long-standing protest against significant salary disparities within the department. The association represents thousands of revenue employees who play crucial roles in maintaining land records and revenue administration.
Widespread Protest Action Begins
Starting from Tuesday, revenue employees throughout Tamil Nadu have completely stopped performing SIR-related duties as part of their organized protest movement. The boycott affects all 6,000 revenue villages across the state, potentially disrupting important revenue documentation and land record maintenance services that citizens depend on.
The association's decision follows failed negotiations with state government officials regarding their primary demand: equal pay for equal work. Employees argue that while they perform identical duties to their counterparts in other departments, they receive substantially lower salaries, creating an unfair compensation system.
Core Issues Behind the Protest
At the heart of the dispute lies a significant wage gap that has persisted for years. Revenue employees point out that staff in comparable positions within other government departments receive higher salaries despite performing similar functions. This pay disparity has become increasingly unacceptable to the association members.
The Special Integrated Revenue work involves critical documentation including land registration, mutation processes, and maintaining updated revenue records. These functions form the backbone of property transactions and land ownership verification systems in Tamil Nadu.
Association representatives emphasize that they have exhausted all diplomatic channels before resorting to the boycott. Multiple meetings with government authorities failed to produce concrete solutions, leaving the employees with no alternative but to take stronger action.
Potential Impact on Public Services
The indefinite nature of the boycott could significantly affect various public services. Citizens requiring revenue certificates, property documentation, or land record verification may face delays and processing issues until the dispute gets resolved.
Revenue employees handle essential administrative functions that support property transactions, inheritance processes, and legal documentation requirements. The prolonged boycott could create a backlog that might take considerable time to clear once normal operations resume.
The association has indicated they will continue the boycott until the state government addresses their concerns seriously and offers a viable solution to the salary disparity issue. They remain open to discussions but insist that any resolution must include concrete steps toward pay equity.
This protest action represents one of the largest organized movements by revenue department employees in recent years, highlighting the growing frustration among government staff about compensation inequalities. The situation continues to develop as both sides monitor the impact of the boycott and potential negotiation opportunities.
