Tense moments prevailed at Vadaseripatti village near Vellanur in the district on Thursday after a group of villagers resorted to a protest opposing the construction of houses by the Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board for those who were affected by Cyclone Gaja that struck in November 2018.
As preliminary works ahead of the construction of 528 houses were to commence on Thursday by deploying few earth movers and tipper lorries, a section of villagers vent their ire by assembling at the spot and besieging the vehicles thus preventing the works. Anticipating problems, a team of police personnel were deployed at the spot.
The villagers wanted the works to be stopped and instead demanded that a hospital or a school be constructed. Police and revenue officials said construction of houses was to be carried out on government land ‘meichal poromboke’ at Vadaseripatti for those affected by the cyclone. As police personnel intervened asking the protesters to vacate, a section of them rushed towards the Tiruchi - Pudukottai national highway nearby and staged a road roko for some time. They subsequently dispersed.
Sources said the grouse of a section of villagers was that construction of houses would result in water problems in the longer run and affect irrigation for farming activities. Works were temporarily halted in the wake of the protest. Police teams continued to be deployed at the spot. A case was booked against 20 persons by the Vellanur police for resorting to a road roko, said the sources.
