Requesting the state government to increase the salary of the powerloom workers K.Dinakaran, MLA from the Sulur Constituency petitioned the District Collector Archana Patnaik here on Monday.

In the petition Dinakaran stated that there were more than 2 lakh looms in the districts of Coimbatore and Tirupur and it was a source of livelihood for lakhs “However, the workers are not paid properly and are constantly forced to engage in staging protests and demonstrations demanding salary hike each year,” he said.

He added that the state government has failed to give a permanent solution to the issue as the workers have always been protesting.

“The government should give a permanent solution during the assembly meetings later in the year and the minister involved should take adequate measures,” he opined.

Meanwhile, member of the Annai Ganga Nagar Welfare Association also petitioned the District Collector through MLA Dinakaran to clear encroachments of government land by a private party.

“The land was initially sold to the government by a person to build a bus shelter and ration shop. However, the land has been encroached again and the construction work too is slow,” said a member.