TENKASI: Hairdressers attached to the Nagara Maruthuva Samuthaaya Mudithiruthuvor Sangam petitioned District Collector P Akash on Monday seeking directions to Sankarankovil municipality not to vacate the 21 salons located by the pond near the bus stand.
"Our shops have been functioning there since 1975. The then municipality chairman Palaniswami, who belonged to the DMK, provided us with these shops. However, the shops got gutted in a fire in 2014. Understanding our plight, the then combined-Tirunelveli District Collector Karunakaran helped us receive bank loans to set up metal sheets over our shops. But, the Sankarankovil municipal administration has now issued us a notice to vacate the shops within 15 days. We request the State government to save our livelihood," the petition read.
Meanwhile, CPM Branch Secretary R Christopher submitted a petition urging the forest department to set up a fence and dig a trench along the Western Ghats to prevent animal intrusion into farms of Pethankudiiruppu, Karuthapillaiyur, and Bangalow Kudiruppu residents.
"We had petitioned the forest officials many times regarding this. If only they had heeded us before, the incident in which a sloth bear attacked three persons on Sunday could have been avoided," Christopher said. SDPI functionaries also submitted a petition with Akash demanding the removal of liquor outlets in new and old bus stand areas.