The villagers’ war against liquor shops in their areas continued this week also as a group of residents from a small hamlet near Thisaiyanvilai submitted a petition during the weekly grievance redressal meet held at the Collectorate on Monday seeking permanent closure of the shop opened near their area.
A group of residents from Abdul Kalam Nagar near Thisaiyanvilai, who submitted a petition to Collector Sandeep Nanduri on Monday, said the liquor shop located on the Thisaiyanvilai – Uvari Road, had been shifted and opened on the Thisaiyanvilai – Pettaikulam Road near Abdul Kalam Nagar despite stiff opposition from the residents, especially women.
The liquor shop, which was situated between two primary schools and places of worship, had become an eyesore for the children going to school and the devotees going to the nearby mosque and the temple. As the Thisaiyanvilai – Pettaikulam Road was being used by a few hundred people everyday, they have to cross the liquor shop with a sense of fear.
“The alcoholics, after consuming alcohol in the shop, are forcibly stopping the vehicles crossing the trouble spot and compelling the passersby to drop them at Thisaiyanvilai in their vehicles. They don’t spare even the women who cross this spot in their two-wheelers. Hence, the relocated liquor shop should be closed permanently,” the petitioners said.
In his petition, Maanur area secretary of Tamil Nadu Vivasaayigal Sangam T. Abraham said the Tangedco, which had acquired 40 acres of land near Kanarpatti for its expansion purposes, had fenced the property. Consequently, the shepherds had to take a circuitous route to reach the grasslands with their cattle. Hence, the Collector should instruct the Tangedco officials to create a passage for shepherds taking the cattle to the grasslands by removing the barbed wire fence at a vantage point, he said.
On behalf of Hindu Munnani and Jammu Kashmir National Panthers’ Party, petitions were submitted to the Collector seeking his intervention to check collection of compulsory donation and excess fee in some of the educational institutions in the district. “Since the officials, who have to curb this menace, are also backing the administrations of these erring schools, stringent action should be taken against them as well,” the petitioners said.
