Villagers boycott gram sabha meeting demanding relocation of Tasmac outlet

Residents of Periyakuppam village in Tirupattur boycotted the gram sabha meeting, which was organised to mark the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, demanding the relocation of a Tasmacoutlet to help students reach the Government Higher Secondary School safely.

Residents said that Periyakuppam village, around two kms from Ambur town, comprises at least five hamlets including Veppalampatti, Sorakalnattam, Erivattam, and Gounder Vattam that come under Alangayam panchayat union near Vaniyambadi town. “The village is a key access to travel on the Vaniyambadi–Alangayam Main Road to go to big towns. The outlet has made the stretch unsafe for motorists and pedestrians, especially for school students,” said B. Vijayakumar, a resident.

Residents said that the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation Limited (Tasmac) outlet has been functioning for over a decade on the border of Periyakuppam and Vijayapuram villages. Residents, including farmers, traders, office-goers, and students of Periyakuppam village, go to towns like Vaniyambadi, Jolarpet and Tirupattur only through the Vijayapuram village on the Vaniyambadi–Alangayam Main Road.

As most of the students in Periyakuppam village study at the Government Higher Secondary School in Vallipattu village, around 2.5 kms away from the village, students have to use the stretch where the outlet is located.

Based on an alert, revenue officials and police rushed to the village and tried to pacify residents to participate in the gram sabha meeting. However, residents of Periyakuppam village that has around 2,600 voters, stayed away from the meeting.

Residents said that the outlet is located on the stretch where commuters from at least 20 surrounding farming villages board long-distance buses to reach Pondicherry, Kancheepuram, Chennai, Salem and Dharmapuri. Also, the outlet is surrounded by two local temples, a Government High School, and a bank.

Residents said that there were several recent incidents in the village where inebriated people were caught attacking innocent people. Many times, drunk people were found lying on the carriageway of the stretch, affecting traffic movement on the route. Drunk people also engage in petty fights with other residents in the village.

Residents said that a group of residents from the affected villages have also submitted petitions at the grievance meeting chaired by the District Collector. As most residents are farmers, small traders and wage labourers, their hard-earned money is being spent on liquor consumption. Students are also scared to use the stretch where the existing outlet is located.