Tamil Nadu Governor P.S. Ramamohan Rao today issued an ordinance empowering the state government to dismiss government employees and teachers, as the latter’s indefinite strike entered the third day.As a result, the government dismissed five leaders of the Secretariat Staff Association and said new recruits would be appointed from Monday with a consolidated pay of Rs 5,000 per month. The ordinance amending the Tamil Nadu ESMA 2002, would come into force with effect from April 23, 2003.Meanwhile, Justice P.D. Dinakaran of the Madras High Court hoped the government would not resort to any more midnight arrests. Hearing a petition seeking to declare the ESMA as unconstitutional and ultra vires, Justice Dinakaran said if employees had grievances they should settle it before a legal forum and not resort to agitation.
