Chennai: Annamalai, founder of the “We The Leaders” organisation, has urged the Tamil Nadu government to extend the service period of employees working on the Cauvery–Vaigai–Gundar river-linking project and to release their pending salary arrears.
In a statement, he said the tenure of staff attached to the Special District Revenue Office and four separate tahsildar units involved in land acquisition work for the project in Pudukkottai district ended on December 31, 2025. A proposal seeking a two-year extension from January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2027 was sent to the state government on March 20, 2026, he noted.
However, he alleged that an official government order for the extension has not been issued so far, affecting salary payments to employees who continue to work. He pointed out that a request was made on May 12, 2026 to release Rs 66.52 lakh towards salaries and related expenses for April, May and June 2026, but no action has been taken till date.
Stating that non-payment for three months has severely impacted the livelihood of the employees, Annamalai called for an immediate government order extending their service up to December 31, 2027 and for the prompt release of funds to clear the pending salaries for April, May and June.
