TIRUCHI: The Federation for Retrieval of Tiruchi-Palpannai-Thuvakudi Service Roads, has withdrawn its call for election boycott to protest against the “inordinate delay” in building service lanes along the highway between Ariyamangalam and Thuvakudi on the Tiruchi-Thanjavur National Highway was withdrawn.
Although the federation has recently announced that 40 residents welfare associations representing various colonies along the city stretch of the Tiruchi-Thanjavur national highway will participate in the poll boycott, it called off the protest here on Monday. The federation had said it will reconsider the decision only if the authorities begin the process of land acquisition for the service lanes. Over one lakh residents have been affected and were facing danger during their daily commute due to the absence of service lanes, they had contended.
The federation has now said it has decided to allow the residents to register their protest through the ballot. It appealed to the residents to discharge their democratic duty and vote for any candidate as per their choice.
Announcing the decision at a press conference here on Monday, federation organisers, S. Subramaniyan and S. Sakthivel said that though the district administration had not come out with any assurance, they were withdrawing the poll boycott call. “We were called for talks only by the Tahsildhar. But he only urged us to withdraw the poll boycott plan,” they said.
Meanwhile, the Congress candidate for Tiruchi Lok Sabha constituency Su.Thirunavukkarasar, at the behest of Tiruverumbur MLA Mahesh Poyyamozhi, interacted with the residents and assured to work for building the service road in full as per original plan. “He also gave his assurance in writing,” Mr.Sakthivel said.
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