The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Officials hold discussion with villagers

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Monday, May 19, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Officials hold discussion with villagers

M. Balaganessin

They have been boycotting local body elections in support of their demand

PUDUKOTTAI: Consequent to the continued boycott of elections and by-elections to local bodies by villagers of Koppanapatti in Ponnamaravathy block in the district, a team of officials held a discussion with them on Saturday for ascertaining the circumstances that caused the trouble.

The villagers of Koppannapatti have been boycotting the election, demanding the release of a map demarcating the boundary of the village panchayat.

They claimed that during the bifurcation of the village panchayat into Koppanapatti and Konnapatti village panchayats about three decades ago, certain infrastructure including a community tank, a hospital and a school belonging to the Koppanapatti panchayat had been shifted to the Konnapatti panchayat.

Errors in demarcation

They have been boycotting the elections since the errors in demarcation in the survey numbers had adversely affected their revenue. Despite repeated pleas to the government, no remedial measures had been taken, they informed the Additional Director of Panchayat Raj, Chennai, M. Rajamani, who led the official team.

They asked the officials to release a map of the village panchayat with survey numbers of lands.

The villagers boycotted the election to the local bodies first in October 2006. For the by-elections notified twice later, none of the villagers filed nomination.

For the third by-election held in February this year, one Ramanathan and eight members won the election only to submit their papers a week later in support of the demand for the village panchayat map.

The villagers informed the officials that although they resorted to several agitations including a fast stir, no action had been taken by the government.

The district panchayat secretary A. Arockiasamy; the assistant director of panchayat, Raman; the personal assistant (Panchayat Development) to the Collector, Sabanayagam; the block development officers Susheela and M.P. Asop were among those who were present.

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