JOIN USThe Election Commission (EC) has initiated action against several IT and textile firms including HCL, Tech Mahindra and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) in Tamil Nadu for allegedly violating election norms by opening their offices on the election day.
The EC action came against the backdrop of several complaints from the public as well as political parties, including MDMK, which alleged that many multinational companies were not allowing their employees to exercise their franchise.
“We have received several complaints from the public as well as from some political parties. The EC has asked Labour Department officials to inspect those companies and ordered their closure to enable the employees to cast their votes,” Chief Electoral Officer Praveen Kumar said on Friday.
Kumar told Deccan Herald that after receiving the reports from the Labour Department officials, FIR will be filed and penal action taken against those companies and establishments that refused to grant paid holiday to their employees who are bonafide voters.
For the first time in the election history of Tamil Nadu, the EC had declared paid holiday on April 24 for the employees of industrial establishments, shops and commercial establishments (including Information Technology/BPO Sector), catering establishments, theatres, factories, plantations, motor transport undertakings, beedi and cigar industry in the state.
According to a senior labour official, the team, which had inspected various IT parks, had sent out more than 2,000 employees from various firms near Sholinganallur IT park.