Chennai: Keeping an eye on the coming Lok Sabha polls, Tamil Nadu Government today (Feb 10, 2004) announced several sops to its employees, including reinstatement of 999 employees who were dismissed for their participation in July 2003 strike.

Chief Minister Jayalalithaa made these announcements while replying to the debate on the motion of thanks to the Governor for his address to the State Assembly.

The Chief Minister said while the dismissal orders were being withdrawn, their four annual increments would be withheld.

Employees who were demoted as recommended by the three-member panel of judges, which went into the dismissals of the Government employees, were being cancelled. However, their two annual increments would be withheld, she said.

Only one of the three annual increments that were withheld earlier in respect of some of the Government employees would be withheld, she said.

She also announced release of one instalment of DA (Dearness Allowance) to the employees, teachers and for those who were employed under consolidated salaries costing the exchequer Rs 201 crore. The three per cent DA hike would be effective from February one, she said.