CUDDALORE:
Opposition parties and trade unions have turned down the request of Collector P. Seetharaman to give up the proposed protest rally, scheduled for Tuesday, against the incomplete underground drainage project and the resultant damage caused to roads.
In a meeting held here on Sunday, they decided to go ahead with their agitation and also boycott the peace talks convened by the Collector on Monday to discuss the issue. They said that instead of showing any tangible results on the project, officials had been buying time by convening meetings periodically for the past two years. The promises made by the officialdom and the Cuddalore Municipality, on and off, about the timeline fixed for completion of projects sounded hollow, they said.
Central and State government employees had also expressed their solidarity with organisers of the rally. While a section of them would participate in the protest march, others would attend duty, wearing black badges. The organisers had also appealed to traders to put up their shutters on that day.
Kumar of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Anandan and Chandrabose of Pattali Makkal Katchi, N. Ramalingam of Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam, Thirumarban of Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, Madhavan and Subbarayan of Communist Party of India (Marxist), M. Sekar of Communist Party of India, M. Nizamudeen and Balki of Consumer Federation-Tamil Nadu, M. Marudhavanan of the Federation of Resdients' Association, and members of autorikshaw and van operators associations participated in the meeting.
