Amma brings back sacked staff, axes two ministers

Tamil Nadu CM J. Jayalalithaa today reinstated the 15,500 temporary staff who were retrenched on Monday. This, even as she sacked two of her ministers and relieved three others of party posts.

‘‘I have decided to take a sympathetic view and ordered that their services may be continued in the Government,’’ Jayalalithaa said in a statement here, giving in to pleas from the ousted staff.

The temporary staff were hired last July, when the Government summarily dismissed over 1.5 lakh employees who had gone on an indefinite strike. With the reinstatement of the dismissed government staff before LS elections, the state ordered the lay-off of the temporary staff on Monday.

State ministers S. Semmalai and R. Jeevanantham were dropped from the ministry today.