THOOTHUKUDI: Accusing the panchayat president of cheating and land grab, the residents of Keela Arasaradi submitted a petition to the district collector during the weekly grievance redressal meeting on Monday.
In the petition, they sought action against panchayat president Rayappan, alleging that he had been grabbing lands of poor people and collecting property tax without proper resolution. They named 11 persons whose land had been grabbed by Rayappan.
"The panchayat president grabbed over five acres of land by forging patta documents and the power of attorney," they said.
One S Maria Hitlar (44) of Vellapatti in Keela Arasaradi told media persons that Rayappan and two others had been trying to encroach upon government poramboke land in Vellapatti village by creating bogus documents.
“They have installed measuring stones on my patta land, which is adjacent to the poramboke land. The district administration must stop Rayappan from grabbing the poramboke land and prevent them from trespassing into my land,” she added.
Residents of Arampannai village near Srivaikuntam claimed that the Thamirabarani’s bunds, damaged during the floods in December 2023, have not been rebuilt. If the river is at spate again this monsoon, the floodwaters may enter the village and cause heavy damage, they said.
The district administration must rope in the water resources department and the public works department (PWD) to fix the breakage and strengthen the bunds so as to protect the people, said Hanifa, a villager.
Meanwhile, people belonging to VP Sinthan Nagar of Nalattinpudur besieged the collectorate, stating that pattas issued to them by the state government in 2007 had not yet been entered into the village records. This prevented them from transferring the land to their children or to pledge the lands to obtain loans. Even though several petitions were given to revenue officials and the district administration, no action has been taken for the past 17 years, said one Anthony Raj, who led the agitation.
Activist SM Gandhi submitted a petition, seeking action against a Kulathur-based businessman who had taken an anadheenam land for agriculture works in the village and built a spare parts company. While the Madras High Court had ordered not to issue pattas for anadheenam lands, the revenue officials had a patta for agriculture, Gandhi said.