Unpaid workers of Vadipatti submitted a petition to the Collector. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT Activists and villagers have submitted a petition to Collector Nishant Krishna, demanding the immediate disbursement of six weeks of pending wages for VB-G RAM G (previously the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Schem) workers in Poochampatti and Chokkalingapuram villages in the district.Gnanasekaran, a social activist and one of the petitioners, said workers who toiled under the national employment scheme in June and July 2026 were yet to receive their wages. The prolonged delay had plunged vulnerable families into severe financial distress and struggling to for food, healthcare, and other basic essentials.According to the activist, workers approached the Block Development Officer (BDO) of Vadipatti Panchayat Union on September 25, 2026, seeking immediate release of the withheld payments.
However, weeks passed without any concrete action or official clarification regarding the delay. Tensions escalated on November 3, when the BDOs visited the area to inspect ongoing works.When labourers questioned him regarding the timeline for their pending wages, the official refused to answer.
The petition noted that demanding earned wages was a legitimate right of the workers and criticised the official’s alleged display of high-handedness as detrimental to public trust in local governance.He urged the Collector to intervene directly and fulfil several key demands, including immediate release of the pending wages, investigation into the failure to act on the September petition, and fixing of responsibility on negligent officials. Published - November 04, 2026 08:00 pm IST