A public hearing on the proposal to construct two road over bridges (ROBs) – one at Tiruthangal and another at Satchiyapuram – here was held on Thursday.

A section of traders and residents registered their opposition to acquire their prime land which is their main source of life and livelihood along the Virudhunagar-Sivakasi highway near Tiruthangal Railway station.

“We got several memoranda in support of the bridges and some against land acquisition,” said District Revenue Officer, R. Mangalaramasubramanian, who chaired the public hearing. A. Veeramani, a senior member of Swami Vivekanandar Traders’ Association, said that at least 300 shops and houses would be affected in the present alignment proposed by the State Highways Department.

“We are asking the officials to reduce the length of the bridge and width of the service roads on both sides so that minimum land acquisition can help construction of the ROB,” he said.

In the present proposal of land acquisition more than 50% of the land having shops and houses will be lost rendering the rest of the land useless.

However, officials said that service road of minimum width was required for all future development of the areas and also for movement of vehicles to Tiruthangal railway station.

Compensation for the land acquired will be made as per the latest rules in force, the officer said.

Around seven houses would be affected in land acquisition in Satchiyapuram ROB, the official said.

Both the ROBs were necessitated to provide uninterrupted flow of vehicular traffic on Srivilliputtur-Sivakasi-Virudhunagar-Aruppukottai-Thiruchuli-Narikudi-Parthibanur Road in the twin municipalities of Tiruthangal and Sivakasi that have numerous industrial units.

The processing of the land acquisition work could not be taken up even after the Government Order for the same was issued in January 2021 due to Tamil Nadu Assembly Election works and COVID-19 second wave.