Demanding action against an urban local body member who allegedly uprooted a 60-year-old roadside tree near Meelavittaan in the night a couple of days ago, a group of villagers staged road roko near their hamlet on Saturday.
The protesting villagers said the huge roadside tamarind tree was uprooted by a councillor of Thoothukudi Corporation and his supporters a couple of days ago in the small hours in a bid to facilitate free movement of lorries going to his godown. As the tree was felled in the wee hours, the matter came to light only in the morning.
Agitated over this, a group of villagers seeking action against the councillor and his supporters for illegally removing the tree, blocked vehicular traffic on the Thoothukudi new bus stand – Madaththur Road on Saturday.
After the police assured them of appropriate action, the agitation was withdrawn.
According to Sankaranarayanan, Tahsildar of Thoothukudi taluk, he had instructed the Meelavittaan Village Administrative Officer Selvakumar to file a formal complaint with the Thoothukudi SIPCOT Police in connection with the uprooting of the roadside tree. Though Mr. Selvakumar had given a complaint in this connection, no first information report has been registered so far.
