Now, 460 PAPSCO workers get pink slips

PUDUCHERRY: The Puducherry Agro-Products and Civil Supplies Corporation (PAPSCO) has retrenched 460 daily rated workers, who were recruited after April 1, 2009. The workers, who were made voucher payments, were shocked to see their names pasted in the PAPSCO office here on Thursday morning, informing them of the decision.The agony of  sudden removal was writ large on the faces of the workers, who had been employed by the previous Congress government, led by Vaithilingam. The police were present in good strength to prevent any unruly incidents. A few agitated employees tore the list pasted on Wednesday night itself. In the meantime, Kandasamy, former welfare minister in the Vaithilingam cabinet, reached the spot and talked to the agitated workers. He assured them that he would take up the issue with the top officials and left.A few employees tried to meet the top PAPSCO officials and police later took a representative to the managing director of the firm.PAPSCO has decided to retrench these “need-based labourers” as the corporation has accumulated a loss of Rs 17 lakh so far, which only seems to be increasing every month.  At present, there are seven to eight persons employed in PAPSCO - run shops, whereas the actual work force needed was only two or three.