Collector to meet Neduvasal protesters today

However, the residents of Neduvasal have decided to continue the protest and meeting is likely to be held on Sunday. The withdrawal of protest at Kottaikkadu, one of the three spots where protests are held in the district, is a victory for the efforts of the Collector, who has been talking to the people for the past two days. 

The villagers who came to the Alangudi taluk office on Saturday following an appeal from the district administration, attended a peace meeting conducted by the district collector in the presence of the Superintendent of police J Loganathan. It is said that the villagers told the collector that the ONGC had sunk two exploratory wells in their village and laid pipelines. They demanded the removal of the pipelines from the farmlands and to ensure those lands cultivable. 

The collector agreed to fulfil their demands at the earliest and a mutual agreement was reached. Subsequently, the villagers declared that their protest has been withdrawn permanently based on 

the assurance of the Collector. 

Later, the Collector told the media that the protest of Kottaikkadu villagers had been withdrawn as the district administration accepted to fulfil their demands. He also said that the district administration would hold talks with Neduvasal villagers on Sunday. 

“I hope, the Neduvasal protest would also be withdrawn after the talks on Sunday”, he stressed.

According to sources, the district administration has assured the villagers that the ONGC pipes would be removed from the farmland within nine months. Meanwhile, in Neduvasal, where the protest still goes on, the enthusiasm had never waned among the villagers. 

The protesters were served lunch cooked by a team at Sri Nadiyamman temple. The entire protest was being managed and monitored by a team of youth of Neduvasal. On an average around 3,500 to 4000 food packets were being distributed every day.