My name is V. Koodandi, and I live at 3/97 India Colony, Pandarampatti Village, Sivakasi Union, Virudhunagar District. I belong to the Arunthathiyar community. For over 18 years, I worked as a sanitation worker at Pandarampatti Panchayat. On May 31, 2023, I retired.

According to Government Order No. 348, I was supposed to receive a lump sum payment of ₹50,000 and a special monthly retirement pension of ₹2,000. I approached the Panchayat office multiple times. They did not pay attention to my request. They kept refusing to give me these benefits that I had rightfully earned.

I was in great distress, not knowing what to do next. That’s when I brought my problem to the Madurai Legal Awareness Coordination Committee (MLACC). They listened to my situation and guided me on the steps to be taken to resolve this issue.

Following their advice, I went directly to the Virudhunagar District Collector’s office and submitted my petition in person. The Collector forwarded my petition to the Sivakasi Union office, and they called me in for an inquiry.

During the meeting, I explained my situation to the Block Development Officer – how I was struggling to survive without my retirement benefits after dedicating 18 years of my life to this work. The officer understood my hardship and immediately directed the Panchayat office to release my retirement benefits.

Finally, I received my lump sum payment of ₹50,000 and my special monthly retirement pension of ₹26,000. My financial condition was eased out, and today I am living happily. I am deeply grateful to the MLACC for guiding me and helping me get what was rightfully mine after all those years of waiting.

– V. Koodandi, Virudhunagar