Residents oppose merger of panchayats with Tiruchy City Corporation

CHENNAI: Residents from several villages around Lalgudi blocked the Tiruchy-Lalgudi highway on Friday in protest against the merger of their panchayats with the Tiruchy Corporation.

From the day, a GO was issued announcing the merger of several village panchayats with the Tiruchy City Corporation as a part of the city expansion programme, residents from various villages, Nerunjalakudi near Lalgudi, blocked the Tiruchy-Lalgudi highway have been making repeated demands to withdraw the decision.

The protesting residents said that most of them were agrarians and depended on a meagre income they got through farming activities. They feared that their livelihood would be affected, and several government schemes, especially national rural job programme, meant for rural pockets would be denied and their earnings would witness a sharp fall. Highlighting these problems, they demanded to drop the merger plan with corporation.

Charging that no public hearing was conducted before releasing the GO, they hit the roads on Friday raising slogans in support of their demand.

On information, Lalgudi police rushed to the spot and held talks with the agitating residents. Following an assurance from the police that their demands would be passed on the government and officials concerned, the agitators dispersed from the spot. Traffic was affected for around two hours on the stretch due to the protest.