Periyakuppam residents boycott village meeting over liquor outlet

Residents of Periyakuppam village in Tirupattur boycotted a gram sabha meeting to demand the relocation of a Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation Limited liquor outlet. The meeting was organised to mark Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary. Residents said the outlet’s location made the route unsafe for students travelling to Government Higher Secondary School in Vallipattu, about 2.5 kilometres from the village.

Periyakuppam is about two kilometres from Ambur town and includes several hamlets. Residents said people from the village and surrounding farming communities use the Vaniyambadi–Alangayam main road to reach towns including Vaniyambadi, Jolarpet and Tirupattur. They said the outlet had operated for more than a decade on the border of Periyakuppam and Vijayapuram villages.

The location is also near two temples, a government high school and a bank, according to residents. Residents alleged that intoxicated people had recently attacked others, fought among themselves and lain on the carriageway, affecting traffic. They also said commuters from at least 20 surrounding villages use the stretch to board long-distance buses.

Revenue officials and police attempted to persuade the residents to attend the meeting, but the village’s roughly 2,600 voters stayed away, the report said. A group of residents from affected villages had submitted petitions at a grievance meeting chaired by the District Collector. The source material does not state whether authorities have agreed to relocate the outlet or announced any alternative measure.