Public anger over the shifting of TASMAC outlets on national highways to interior parts is turning against the district administration.
On Monday, residents of Crawford and Jeeyapuram areas, including a large number of women, made a representation to District Collector Jayashree Muralidharan.
At Crawford along the Madurai Road, the residents, mostly Muslim women, expressed disgust over the disdain with which the TASMAC outlets were being shifted close to residential localities. The women feared for their safety, and wondered how revenue generation through TASMAC outlets could gain precedence over the wellbeing of women and children.
Calling for the Collector’s intervention, the agitated public said they would not allow the outlets to function in residential areas.
At Anna Arch in Thuvakudi along the Tiruchi-Thanjavur Highway, the public prevented the opening of a TASMAC outlet at its new location.
All party protest
The agitation, conducted on behalf of all parties barring the AIADMK, was headed by Chairman of Thuvakudi Municipality E. Kayambu.
The public raised slogans against the presence of the outlet at the spot since there were temples around and students of the nearby polytechnic college stayed nearby.
The complaint of farmers in villages on the sides of the Jeeyapuram-Kulumani road was that the shifting of the TASMAC outlet to a new location where the seed nursery functions and weekly shandy was conducted would cause inconvenience.
The presence of drunken men would be dangerous to farmers who transport the agricultural produce on bicycles. Last week, residents of Jailania Mosque in Subramaniapuram submitted a petition to Ms. Muralidharan complaining that the shifting of the TASMAC outlet from the main road to the vicinity of the mosque would disturb peace in the locality.
In Tiruchi district, the compliance to the diktat by the Madras High Court for shifting of all TASMAC retail outlet by March-end was not total. An outlet near Malaikovil conducted its business as usual all through Monday.
Ms. Muralidharan could not be reached for her comments.
