Residents, mostly brick kiln workers and their families, at Puthur village in Vellore district blocked the Cuddalore - Chittoor Highway near a bus terminus in Kaniyambadi town on Monday (May 25, 2026) in protest against a local Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) functionary for reportedly demanding money to run the units.

Residents said that villages such as Nelvoy, Puthur, Vallam, Athiyur, Budur, Kuppam, and Odiyathur were traditionally dotted with brick kiln units due to proximity to lakes and ponds in these areas.

Most of the families in these villages depend on these units for work. The region has had at least 300 brick kiln units for many years. “Most of the brick kilns in these villages are small-scale units. Work in these units are seasonal as silt from water bodies can be taken only during summer when water level declines. Such extortion of money by local political functionaries will affect the livelihood of brick kiln workers,” said B. Pasupathi, a brick kiln worker.

Monthly ₹1 lakh from each brick kiln operator

The police said that the road blockade comes after T.R. Vijayakumar, secretary, Kaniyambadi Panchayat Union East, for the TVK, local functionaries Lokesh and Eshwaran and party cadre visited four brick kilns in Puthur village on May 22. These brick kilns have been run by Dinakaran, Sunil Kumar, Ramesh, and Suman for many years.

The police said that the group led by Vijayakumar was reportedly demanding each brick kiln operator to pay a bribe of ₹1 lakh every month to run their units smoothly without any political interference.

The police said a heated argument broke out between brick kiln operators, workers and TVK functionaries in the village. The incident which was filmed and uploaded on social media platforms invited public outrage.

The police said subsequently, brick kiln operators and TVK functionaries filed complaints separately against each other with Vellore Taluk police. A probe was under way.

Against this backdrop, brick kiln workers and families blocked the key stretch at around 10 a.m. on Monday demanding action against the TVK functionaries. Traffic was affected on the route for more than an hour before police restored vehicular movement on the stretch.

Peace talks

On being informed, Vellore Taluk police and revenue officials pacified agitated residents who dispersed peacefully after assurance that such extortion threats will not recur. A peace committee meeting led by R. Senthil Kumar, Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO), Vellore, was held at Revenue Inspector (RI) office in Kaniyambadi.

Silt mined illegally: TVK

Revenue officials said brick kiln operators urged officials to protect their business against such threats by political parties as these units provide livelihood for hundreds of families in the area. On their part, TVK functionaries, led by Vijayakumar, told revenue officials that a few brick kiln owners in the area have been illegally mining silt from water bodies during night to run the units.

Revenue officials directed local police to strengthen patrol during night, especially near water bodies, to prevent such illegal sand mining. They also told TVK functionaries to report such illegal activities to government authorities rather than taking it on their hand. “We have heard complaints from brick kiln operators and TVK functionaries. We have advised them accordingly. Steps will be taken to address the issue of license for brick kiln operators,” Mr. Senthil Kumar, RDO (Vellore), told The Hindu.