Residents of Alanganallur have given an ultimatum of 25 days for the district administration to shift three TASMAC shops outside the town panchayat limits.
Besides, they have registered their strong opposition against a proposal to open an FL-2 bar in the town.
Following unanimous protest from residents and traders, who had downed shutters of shops and commercial establishments in the town on Friday, the officials decided to close down the shops by August 11, if the administration failed to shift the TASMAC shops.
These were the resolutions adopted at a peace meeting chaired by Madurai Revenue Divisional Officer, V. Muruganandam, in the presence of Sholavandan MLA, K. Manickam, at Vadipatti Taluk office.
Officials from the police department and TASMAC took part in the meeting.
Fear of COVID-19 spread
Almost all shops and commercial establishments in Alanganallur remained closed on Friday as a token of protest seeking closure of all three TASMAC shops to prevent spread of COVID-19.
Ever since the State Government announced partial lockdown in Madurai city and some rural areas from June 24, thousands of people from the city and other areas under lockdown started to swarm towards Alanganallur and Melur in search of liquor bottles.
“Right from early morning till late in the night, people start coming here on hundreds of motorbikes,” complained a local youth.
J. Sundararajan, a local man, said that people were scared to see large-scale movement of outsiders in the area.
“The outsiders neither wear mask nor maintain physical distancing while waiting in queue outside the TASMAC shops. Besides, they create nuisance by haphazard parking of vehicles on the road,” he said.
“We fear that the pandemic might spread fast with so many people coming here. The outsiders do not stop with just going to TASMAC shops, they also go to other shops to buy water bottles, glasses and snacks,” he added.
These people do not follow any of the rules put forth by the police or other authorities, Mr. Sundararajan said.
Local people also complained that these outsiders consumed liquor on roadsides or in the farms in the area. Later, they would throw the empty bottles on the road or in the irrigation channels.
With the local people having already petitioned the district administration and the district police asking them to close down the TASMAC shops, traders and all political parties have shown solidarity with the villagers.
Stating that Gate Kadai area in Alanganallur has three shops meant for Kallanai and Palamedu, Mr. Sundarajan said that all the shops should be moved out of Alanganallur town panchayat limits.
“Let the shops be located outside the town limits so that local people do not suffer due to the presence of these outsiders,” he added.
