Residents of Servaikaranmadam village panchayat submitted a petition at the weekly grievance redress meeting held at Thoothukudi district Collectorate on Monday, seeking the closure of Tasmac wine shop located in Kamaraj Nagar in the village.
According to the petition, the shop is situated close to a temple, a CSI church, a polytechnic college and a public toilet facility for women. The residents said that the outlet was causing inconvenience to the public and urged the authorities to remove it in accordance with the direction of the government.
Ayappan, 23 a resident of Kamaraj Nagar said, “The liquor shop has been functioning since 2020 and that multiple petitions were submitted and protests had been organised to close the shop.”
He added that most residents of Kamaraj Nagar belong to economically weaker sections and expressed concern that the presence of liquor shops could negatively influence young people in the area.
Another resident alleged that a bar was also operating near the outlet, claiming that those benefitting through the bar have been attempting to prevent the closure of the shop.
A group people from ‘Narikuravar’ community who came to the Thoothukudi district Collectorate on Monday seeking justice for land issue. | Photo Credit: N. RAJESH
In a petition submitted by members of ‘Narikuravar’ community from Manthithoppu colony near Kovilpatti stated that land had been allocated to them by the government in 1992, where they have been living in huts. However, some individuals were attempting to encroach upon their land and obstructing the efforts to fence the area. They requested the Collector’s intervention to ensure justice.
The grievance redress meeting chaired by Thootukudi District Collector Vishu Mahajan, received 410 petitions, seeking various forms of assistance, including widow welfare assistance, senior citizen pension and others.