THOOTHUKUDI: Residents of Pottaloorani village have strongly opposed the police’s efforts to dismantle a shed, which was set up to meet those who have extended their solidarity against the three fish processing units that emit foul odour.
The police believe that the setting up of a shed by the protesters shows that the movement is gaining momentum.
Condemning the stench emanating from the private seafood processing units, the residents of Pottaloorani village are protesting, seeking the closure of these units. It may be noted that the villagers had also boycotted the Lok Sabha elections on April 19 as talks with the district administration failed to make any headway.
Even though the agitation has subsided, people are unsettled over the issue as the district administration remains a mute spectator.
The villagers established a shed on Sunday on the banks of a pond in the village and erected two flex banners, demanding the closure of the fish processing units and withdrawing the cases filed against the public.
When police and revenue officials reached the spot to dismantle the shed, the villagers stopped them on Wednesday. "We have set up the "panthal" (shed) only to meet the organisations who are visiting the village and extending solidarity to our protest," said Sankaranarayanan, one of the coordinators of the agitation.
The Pottaloorani Agitation Committee also declined to engage in talks with the deputy tahsildar and the inspector of the AWPS in Pudukkottai, stating that the collector, also the District Election Officer, is the only authority to hold talks as the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) is still in effect. Earlier, the agitation committee had also declined to talk with Thoothukudi Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO).