Villagers boycott gram sabha meeting demanding relocation of Tasmac outlet

Residents of Periyakuppam village boycotted the gram sabha meeting despite attempts by the police and officials to pacify them. | Photo credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Residents of Periyakuppam village in Tirupattur boycotted the gram sabha meeting organized on the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary and demanded the relocation of Tasmacoutlet so that the students could reach the Government Higher Secondary School safely.

Residents said that Periyakuppam village, about two km from Ambur town, comprises at least five hamlets including Veppalampatti, Sorakalnattam, Erivattam and Gounder Vattam, which come under Alangayam panchayat division near Vaniyambadi town. “The village is a key access to travel on the Vaniyambadi-Alangayam main road to big cities. The plug has made the stretch unsafe for motorists and pedestrians, especially students,” said B. Vijayakumar, a resident.

Residents said the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation Limited (Tasmac) outlet has been operating for more than a decade on the border of Periyakuppam and Vijayapuram villages. Residents including farmers, traders, office goers and students of Periyakuppam village go to towns like Vaniyambadi, Jolarpet and Tirupattur only through Vijayapuram village on the Vaniyambadi–Alangayam main road.

As most of the students in Periyakuppam village study in Government High School in Vallipattu village, about 2.5 km from the village, students have to use the stretch where the shop is located.

Acting on the warning, officials and police rushed to the village and tried to pacify the residents to attend the gram sabha meeting. However, residents of Periyakuppam village, which has around 2,600 voters, abstained from the meeting.

Residents said the outlet is located on a stretch where commuters from at least 20 nearby farming villages board long-distance buses to Pondicherry, Kancheepuram, Chennai, Salem and Dharmapuri. Two local temples, a government high school and a bank also surround the outlet.

Residents said there have been several recent incidents in the village where drunk people were caught attacking innocent people. Many times, drunken people were found on the roadway of the section, affecting the traffic on the route. Drunk people also engage in petty fights with other residents in the village.

Residents said a group of residents from the affected villages also presented petitions at the grievance meeting presided over by the district collector. As most of the residents are farmers, petty traders and wage labourers, their hard-earned money is spent on alcohol consumption. Students are also afraid to use the section where the existing outlet is located.

Published – 02 Oct 2026 23:43 IST