Tiruvannamalai residents block proposed Tasmac relocation site

Residents of Arattavadi village in Tiruvannamalai district protested on Wednesday against a proposed location for a Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation liquor outlet. The village already has a Tasmac outlet, residents said. They objected after learning that officials were considering land in Arattavadi for relocating another outlet from neighbouring Thanda village.

The protesters prevented government officials, including the Tahsildar, from inspecting the proposed site. Revenue officials and police later reached the area and spoke with the residents. The residents dispersed after revenue officials assured them that the outlet would not be relocated to the land under consideration.

The assurance followed the protest and prevented an immediate inspection of the proposed site. Residents cited concerns about the location’s effect on road safety and traffic. N.

Sarala, a resident, said the Ariyakunjur main road was an important route linking nearby towns and argued that a liquor outlet there could cause congestion, accidents and inconvenience to road users. Residents also said commuters from at least 20 surrounding villages used the identified area to board buses. They therefore opposed placing the outlet near a route and location they described as heavily used by the travelling public.

Tasmac officials said the outlet in Thanda village had recently been closed following complaints from residents. The proposed relocation was linked to that closure, although the source material does not specify when a final decision on a new site would be made. For now, the officials’ assurance has halted the proposed move to the disputed land.

The account does not indicate whether the authorities will identify another location or whether residents have made further demands regarding the outlet’s future.