Chennai: On the second day of the Jacto-Geo strike, hundreds of teachers and State government employees were arrested in various places across Tamilnadu and the situation has crippled over 80 per cent of work in government offices and schools.
More than 120 government employees and teachers’ associations belonging to Jacto-Geo group began the indefinite strike Tuesday. The protest took place in over 300 places all over the State.
Over 300 employees were arrested at Tiruvarur and Thiruthuraipoondi and another 500 were held at Mannargudi, Avinasi and Rajapalayam for obstructing traffic.
According to a report, the police said 79.5 per cent of government officials and teachers belonging to more than 120 associations stayed off work. In Chennai Corporation schools, 90 per cent of teachers did not report for work.
On Tuesday, members of Jacto-Geo picketed their respective taluk offices, stressing their 9-point charter of demands.
Today, the School Education Department has asked the district educational officers to make teacher training students and matriculation school teachers take the place of those on strike.
Leading from the front, Villupuram district chief education officer, K Munuswamy, took upon himself to conduct classes in a government primary school in Tirunavalur, standing in for the absentee teachers.
Undeterred by these happenings, the organiser of Jacto-Geo, M Subramanian, informed that the protests would intensify in the coming days if the government failed to meet their demands.