Seven villages stage stir against merger with Kovilpatti municipality in TN

The villagers claimed the merger with the urban body of Kovilpatti municipality would deprive them of MGNREGS jobs, which is a key income for the women of the villages
The villagers protesting in front of the RDO office in Kovilpatti.
The villagers protesting in front of the RDO office in Kovilpatti. Photo | Express
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THOOTHUKUDI: Residents of seven village panchayats proposed to be merged with Kovilpatti municipality opposed the move stating that work available under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) would be scrapped. The villagers led by CPI union secretary Babu resorted to stage a sit-in stir at the Kovilpatti Revenue Divisional Office (RDO) before submitting a petition.

Recently, the state government issued a notification for merging Manthithoppu, Nalattinputhur, Inam Maniachi, Pandavarmangalam, Moopanpatti, Ilupaiyoorani and Thittankulam panchayats with Kovilpatti municipality.

The villagers headed by the CPI party staged a protest against the merger plans at the Kovilpatti RDO office on Monday. The villagers claimed the merger with the urban body of Kovilpatti municipality would deprive them of MGNREGS jobs, which is a key income for the women of the villages.

The property tax would be hiked which will be a burden for the villagers, they said. The villagers besieged the RDO office, squatting at the campus and rolled on the road demanding immediate solution. The police led by DSP Jeganathan negotiated with the protesters and convinced them to take the issues to concerned authorities. Later, they submitted a petition with RDO Mahalakshmi and withdrew the protest.

Meanwhile, objecting to the merger with Kovilpatti municipality, a section of people from Moopanpatti panchayat submitted a petition with Kovilpatti RDO separately, and a section of people from Inam Maniachi submitted a petition with Collector K Elambahavath at the weekly grievances meeting at the collectorate.

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