TIRUCHY: Tension prevailed in the Palpannai area in Tiruchy after the civic officials removed as many as 15 shops constructed on an encroached land on Tuesday.

It is said, there were several shops constructed on the public land, and Tiruchy civic administration which has been enumerating the encroached lands, found that as many as 15 shops were constructed on the disputed land at the Palpannai area.

Subsequently, the civic officials sent a notice to the shop owners to clear the encroachments. Since the shop owners refused to vacate, the civic officials approached the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court, and on Tuesday, with the court order, the officials removed the encroachments.

The traffic between Gandhi Market to Thanjavur was affected after the shop owners attempted to resort to a roadblock.

However, the police pacified the agitating shop owners and took the situation under control.