A section of residents of 9A Nathampannai and Thiruvengaivasal panchayats in the district staged a demonstration here on Friday demanding that the panchayats should not be merged with the Pudukottai Municipal Corporation.
The villagers assembled under the banner “Vendam Maanagaratchi Makkal Kootaimappu” and staged the demonstration near the Karuveppilai railway gate in Tirugokarnam police station limits for over 45 minutes in the evening.
A few representatives of the Tamizhar Kazhagam, the United Communist Party of India, the Communist Party of India, the Congress, and the Tamizh Desiya Irayanmai Katchi participated in the demonstration in which about 90 persons, including 80 women, took part.
They urged the State government not to act against the wishes of the people as the merger would affect their employment under the 100-day Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, increase their tax burden, and affect agriculture activities through urbanisation, said police sources.
