Express News Service
THOOTHUKUDI: The coastal city took tentative steps towards normalcy on a day the bandh call by Opposition parties received a lukewarm response. Friday saw around 40 per cent shops in the town resuming business with essential commodity-starved residents making a beeline. Shops at Palayakayal, Authoor, Arumuganeri, Kayalpattinam, Tiruchendur and Srivaikuntam on the town’s periphery remained open since morning.
While a semblance of normalcy was restored to the city, it remained a pale shadow of its former self. The decision to open the shops came after a hurried meeting of a peace committee, comprising community leaders, traders and district authorities at the Superintendent office. Saying that the locals had been knocking at his doors for supplies, Pakiyaraj, a grocer from Housing Board, said, “With the tension easing a bit, it was only a matter of time before I opened my shop.” Vendors selling milk, vegetables and other essentials were seen doing brisk business on the streets of the town, where tension prevailed in the aftermath of the police firing on Tuesday.
Friday being a ‘mugurtham’ day, many couples tied the knot in low-key functions, in which the participation of invitees was thin. The outstation relatives and friends largely skipped the events. P Selwin, a groom from KTC Nagar, told Express that his relatives from peripheral areas and other districts did not attend his function.
The TNSTC resumed bus services to select areas in Kovilpatti, Madurai and Tirunelveli on the mofussil routes after three days. Town buses were operated on Eral, Chekkarakudi and Tiruchendur routes. According to TNSTC Divisional Manager Samudram, over 20 buses were operated under police escort. Buses from Madurai and Coimbatore also reached Thoothukudi, he said.
With the town inching towards normalcy, devotees have started padayatra to the Tiruchendur Temple for Vaikasi Visakam, one of the more famous festivals in southern districts, slated for Monday.
State government’s crisis manager Gagandeep Singh Bedi, PWC Davidar and the new district collector Sandeep Nanduri held a meeting with officials at the Thoothukudi Medical College Hospital (ThMCH) for the second day and took stock of the situation. ATMs that are running dry of cash is expected to be filled by Saturday. Normal bus services too are expected by Sunday.
Ensure normalcy: HC to collector
Directing the State government to file a reply on the police firing during the anti-Sterlite protest, the Madras High Court Bench in Madurai directed the Thoothukudi district collector to ensure that complete normalcy returns to the district soon. It also directed district collector to make available essential commodities and transport services to the people.
‘Presence of cops not to intimidate’
State government’s crisis-manager Gagandeep Singh Bedi assured that the police presence would be scaled down if the town remained calm and cooperated with the district administration in maintaining peace. Bedi, secretary of agriculture department maintained that the police presence was beefed up in the region not to intimidate the residents, but to ensure peace was not violated.
