The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Udumalpet-Tirupur merger agitation takes a new turn

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Thursday, Nov 27, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Udumalpet-Tirupur merger agitation takes a new turn

R. Vimal Kumar

Makkal Peravai demands a new district

Tirupur: Dissent among the residents of Udumalpet taluk following the State Government’s decision to merge the region with Tirupur district has taken a new turn.

The Makkal Peravai, an independent citizen’s forum which has been opposing the merger of Udumalpet taluk with Tirupur district citing logistical inconveniences, wanted the State Government to form a new district with Pollachi as its headquarters of which Udumalpet should be a taluk.

R. Sivashanmugam, coordinator of the apolitical forum, comprising doctors, traders, engineers, lawyers, Rotarians and members of non-political organizations, told The Hindu that the new district should be constituted by merging Udumalpet, Pollachi, Valparai and Palani taluks.

“It will be a much wiser move than making Udumalpet taluk comprising Udumalpet, Gudimangalam and Madathukulam panchayat unions, a part of Tirupur district. The merger of the taluk with Tirupur would force the residents of the taluk, primarily farmers, to travel about 70 km to reach the district headquarters in Tirupur and about 45 km to reach the revenue divisional headquarters at Dharapuram under which the Udumalpet taluk had been relocated.

Thus, the creation of Pollachi district will help them to avoid long journeys as Pollachi town is just 28 kms away,” Dr. Sivashanmugam said.

Besides, the formation of Pollachi district would bring both Aliyar and Thirumoorthy dams under the control of one district administration.

“In the case of being with Tirupur district, the farmers here will have to approach two district administrations for their water needs as Aliyar will be retained under the control of Coimbatore district administration,” he said.

He pointed out that the formation of a district with just few taluks was not a problem as ‘similar sized’ districts such as Dharmapuri, Perambalur and Nagapattinam had been constituted in the past.

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