Date:03/12/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/12/03/stories/2006120306380100.htm

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Move to attach Thuraiyur taluk draws flak

S. Ganesan

TIRUCHI : Speculation over the possibility of attaching Thuraiyur taluk with Perambalur district has spurred a groundswell of popular opinion against any such move, especially among the residents of Thuraiyur.

The recent meetings convened by the revenue authorities to elicit public opinion on bringing the Uppilliyapuram Assembly segment, which spreads across the Thuraiyur taluk in Tiruchi district, under Perambalur has provoked a series of agitations by lawyers, traders and other sections of society in the town. Members of the Bar are on a court boycott over the past few days.

On Friday, residents formed a struggle committee and called for a bandh in the town on December 7.

Though district officials say the speculations were "too premature," locals attach credence to conjectures in the wake of the Government's decision to bifurcate the Perambalur district again to create a new district with Ariyalur as headquarters.

Those who support the move point out that Perambalur would now be left with only two Assembly segments against three in the Ariyalur district. Bringing the Uppilliyapuram segment, which falls under the Perambalur Lok Sabha constituency, would be a sensible decision.

Except the Pattali Makkal Katchi, all the other parties have opposed the move. Though local DMK office-bearers have disassociated themselves from the agitations, they claim to have conveyed the popular opinion to the officials.

"We have told the officials in writing that a majority of farmers, traders, lawyers and other sections of the local population are opposed to the move," says K.Maharajan, DMK town secretary and vice-chairman of Thuraiyur municipality.

The taluk residents have successfully spearheaded a long agitation in the nineties after it was attached to Perambalur when Tiruchi district was trifurcated. In 1996, the then DMK Government revoked the decision.