THOOTHUKUDI: The Tamil Nadu government on November 17 issued a Government Order annexing 12 village panchayats of Kuruvikulam union in Tenkasi district with the Kovilpatti union of Thoothukudi district. Also, the Mukootumalai village panchayat in Thoothukudi has been bifurcated and annexed with Tenkasi district. With this, the number of panchayats in Thoothukudi and Tenkasi districts will increase to 415 and 210 respectively.
According to sources, the GO was issued by the Rural Development and Panchayat Department based on a recent high court order which directed the state government to settle the issue while hearing a case.
As per the GO, the 12 panchayats of Mukootumalai, Nakkalamuthanpatti, Vadakkupatti, Pichaithalaivanpatti, Puliyankulam, Appaneri, Ayyaneri, Chithirampatti, Pillayarnatham, Venkatachalapuram, Ilayarasanendhal and Jameen Devarkulam panchayats will be annexed with the Kovilpatti union.
The Mukootumalai panchayat has been bifurcated into Mukoottumalai (comprising Mukoottumalai and Kasthurirangapuram villages ) and Naduvapatti panchayat (comprising Naduvapatti and Srirangarajapuram villages). The latter has been annexed to Tenkasi district.
The tenure of panchayat presidents in these 12 village panchayats will end in October 2026, as local body election has been conducted in Tenkasi district.