Jayalalithaa gives jobs to family members of woodcutters killed in Andhra encounter

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa has given appointment orders to 5 of the next of kin of 20 people who were gunned down by Andhra Pradesh security agencies in Seshachalam forests in April. After listening to pleas by families of victims who had sought government employment citing poor economic background, the government gave them different posts, an official statement said. Twenty Tamil woodcutters were shot down by Andhra police on April 7, attracting severe criticism in the state. While kin of 17 of victims were posted as cooking assistants, two others were appointed as Nutritious meal coordinators, and 1 person was posted as an anganwadi assistant, the official release said.