MADURAI: Residents of several villages around Tirunelveli have opposed the move to bring their villages under Tirunelveli municipal corporation.
Reddiyarpatti, Itteri, Munneerpallam, Nochikulam, Ramayanpatti, Thalaiyuthu, and Keelanatham villages were proposed to be brought under Tirunelveli municipal corporation as part of the plan to expand cities across the state.
Under these circumstances, during the gram sabha meetings conducted in some of these villages on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanthi on Wednesday, villagers registered their protest against the proposal. Thalaiyuthu villagers undertook a protest at the meeting site. Itteri villagers walked to the meeting venue with black flags demanding to drop the proposal. One of the Ramayanpatti village ward councillors, Mariappan, protested the move by rolling on the floor. Tension prevailed in these villages as residents raised slogans against the authorities.
Villagers reasoned that while the authorities are struggling to provide amenities to city dwellers why bring in more areas under the municipal corporation. They also said they will be excluded from the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme if the villages are brought under the city limits.
Meanwhile, collector K P Karthikeyan participated in the gram sabha meeting at Marukalkurichi village in Nanguneri block and distributed Kalaignar sports kits to the panchayat president.
