TIRUVANNAMALAI: As their protest against the merger of 18 gram panchayats with Tiruvannamalai Corporation reaches 50th day today, villagers continue to stage a sit-in at Thennarasampattu, cooking and eating at the protest site to sustain their agitation. Taking turns, they ensure that at least one person is present at all times, come rain or shine, to register their opposition under the slogan, ‘Engal ooru, engal urimai’ (Our village, our right). Leaders of 50 farmer associations from across the state are expected to join the protest on Friday to mark the 50th day of the agitation.
Tiruvannamalai, previously a municipality was upgraded into a municipal corporation in August 2024 by merging it with 18 gram panchayats. Of the corporation’s 102 sq km area, around 80 sq km comprises the merged panchayats, which together have a population of over 80,000.
The protestors, who began their agitation on September 10, say the merger has threatened their livelihoods, increased their tax burden and affected the delivery of basic civic services. They have started a sit-in protest now, almost after two years of merger to urge the new government to revoke the GO issued in 2024 and restore the villages as gram panchayats.
One of their major concerns is the loss of employment opportunities under the rural job guarantee scheme, VB-GRAM G. “Several elderly people do not know any other work. Their children are also away, and they used to depend on the meagre wages earned from the 100-day work scheme,” said Sathya R of Malappambadi.
Residents further alleged that taxes had increased despite the loss of employment opportunities. Sathya said her house tax had risen to Rs 1,080 from Rs 100-300 when Malappambadi was under the panchayat. Residents also said land prices had risen to Rs 3,000-4,000 per sq ft, making it difficult for families to buy land and build houses.
Villagers also flagged delays in addressing civic issues. “Earlier, if a tap was not working, we approached panchayat officials and it would be fixed within a day. Now, we have to inform the Corporation, and officials come only after two or three days. Can we go without water for so many days?” asked Sabariammal C of Athiyandal. She added that sanitation work had become irregular in some villages, raising concerns about water stagnation during the rainy season.
Residents also fear parting with their lands for development projects following the merger. Questioning the rationale behind merging villages, Farmer leader Arul Arumugam, said, “There are no industries to provide alternate jobs to these farmers. It’s a fertile land which has good paddy, banana and other crops,” he said. He also warned if these agricultural lands are lost, it could lead to severe food shortage.
Meanwhile, revenue officials held talks with the villagers, however, villagers alleged that that have not received a satisfactory response yet.
Tiruvannamalai DRO A Sivasubramanian told TNIE that a compiled report on villagers’ concerns would be submitted to the government soon. He added that agricultural land would not be affected with the merger.
Corporation Commissioner K Balasubramaniyan said, “The Corporation is trying to accommodate villagers under the Tamil Nadu Urban Employment Scheme (TNUES). Around 600 villagers had been provided jobs under the scheme.” However, officials acknowledged that the scheme might not accommodate everyone seeking work, unlike the VB-GRAM G, which provided greater employment opportunities. “The city is expanding and hence all the nearby areas also are bound to see improvement. This is the rationale behind the merger,” the commissioner added.