Tension prevailed for sometime at Thuvarankurichi on Saturday when petty traders gathered in front of the police station demanding the opening of the gates of panchayat union primary school to enable them to put up their shops in the weekly shandy.
The weekly shandy used to meet at a ground near the school every Saturday. The traders and the public have to proceed to the shandy via the school main gate.
When the traders arrived to the shandy this morning, they found the school gates locked. Since the gates did not open for a long time, they gathered in front of the police station and raised slogans demanding the opening of school gates.
Police and Ponnampatti panchayat authorities held discussion with the traders and informed them that the functioning of the shandy in the vicinity of the school posed nuisance and health hazard to the students. However, traders opposed the closure of gates without any prior information.
The officials accepted to allow the shandy to function at the same premises for the week alone.
An alternative site will be identified for the shandy from next week, they said, following which the traders dispersed peacefully.
