Aggrieved over lack of action on their repeated demand to close down an “unauthorised” private bottling unit at Suriyur near here, a group of people who attempted to surrender their ration cards to the District Collector on the Republic Day were arrested here on Monday.
The people of Suriyur, Chinna Suriyur, and Pattaveli resorted to this step demanding the closure of L.A. Bottlers which they said was functioning at Suriyur village “unauthorisedly”.
The protesters said they had been consistently demanding the closure of the private bottling unit for the past two years as its functioning led to sharp decrease in ground water table hitting hard agricultural operations in at least 10 villages.
A week ago, the villagers again petitioned the district administration seeking the closure of the unit which they said was functioning “unauthorisedly” and had affected the very livelihood of the farming community of various villages nearby.
They sought concrete action from the administration authorities to their demand before January 25 failing which they decided to surrender their ration cards on the Republic Day.
A peace committee meeting was organised by the district administration a few days ago in which no agreement could be reached.
As planned to express their protest on the Republic Day, a group of 47 villagers of Suriyur, Chinna Suriyur and Pattaveli landed in the city on Monday morning to surrender their ration cards to the Collector.
The villagers came near the venue of the Republic Day celebrations to surrender their ration cards when they were arrested by the police.
Raising slogans in support of their demand, the villagers sat on the road leading to the function venue even as the celebrations were under way at the District Armed Reserve ground.
The protestors were evicted from the spot and taken in a police vehicle.
One of the villagers A. Ramaiyan of Suriyur said the functioning of the plant had affected nearly 2,000 acres of agricultural lands as water table had plummeted sharply.
“We want the official machinery to look into our persistent demand as it involves the very livelihood of the farming community of Suriyur and other nearby villages”, he said. The arrested villagers were later released.
