THOOTHUKUDI: Residents of Ilayarasanendal and the neighbouring villages celebrated the recent Madras High Court order quashing G.O. 98 issued by the Panchayat Raj department, which had ceded 12 panchayats of Kovilpatti taluk to Kuruvikulam union of Tenkasi district (formerly Tirunelveli district).
The villagers had long urged the government to issue necessary orders declaring that these villages should remain with the Kovilpatti union of Thoothukudi district, as they were originally aligned.
The 12 villages- Pithcaithalaivanpatti, Appaneri, Vadakkupatti, Nakkalamuthampatti, Pillaiyarnatham, Ayyaneri, Chithirampatti, Puliyankulam, Ilayarasanendal, Venkatachalapuram, Mukkutumalai of Ilayarasanendal firka, and Jameen Devarkulam of Kazhugumalai firka - were transferred to Kovilpatti taluk of Thoothukudi district in 2008 from Sankarankovil taluk of then Tirunelveli district.
However, despite this transfer, the panchayat administration remained with the Kuruvikulam union, allegedly due to political pressure.
When the public majority demanded annexation with the Kovilpatti union and pursued the matter legally, another G.O. 98 dated September 1, 2017, was issued during the AIADMK regime to retain these villages under Kuruvikulam, deepening the conflict. The issue continued for years, leading to further protests and petitions.
Recording that all 12 village panchayats had unanimously passed resolutions to join the Kovilpatti panchayat union of Thoothukudi district, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, headed by Justice Dr. Anita Sumanth, on September 10, 2025, quashed G.O. 98 and directed the state government to fulfil the public demand within three months.
Celebrating the verdict, advocate and petitioner Renganayagulu distributed sweets to residents at Ilayarasanendal. “It is a victory of the people’s agitation that prolonged for 17 years. The government must take necessary steps to annex these villages with Thoothukudi district before the assembly election,” he said.
Another petitioner, A Jeyaprakash Narayanan, insisted that the services of panchayat administration must be immediately brought under Kovilpatti union.District Collector K. Elambahavath told TNIE that the matter is currently under consideration as per court directions.