Shopkeepers down shutters in Karambakudi condemning the relocation of Fire and Rescue Service station
Barring medical outlets, over 850 shops in the town remained shut for the whole day with shopkeepers and traders staging a demonstration demanding that the Fire and Rescue Service station should continue to function in Karambakudi town and not to relocate it.
A road roko agitation was held in support of the traders by the members of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and other parties where the CPI(M) Gandarvakottai assembly constituency MLA M. Chinnadurai participated.
The one-day call for keeping the shops closed on Tuesday was given by the Varthagar Sangam, Vyapaarigal Sangam with support from various political parties, including the Communist Party of India - Marxist.
The president of the Karambakudi Vyapaarigal Sangam A. K. Santhiyamoorthy said the station had been functioning in a town panchayat building for over two decades. The station was to be relocated at Pallavarayanpathai which is about seven kilometres away from Karambakudi town, he added.
The Karambakudi town has several shops and business establishments, government schools and fuel stations. Relocating the station to a new place which is seven kilometres away from the town would result in time delay while attending to emergencies, he said.
Representations had been given to the district administration not to relocate the station.
The traders and shopkeepers had suggested a place within the town for the station instead of relocating it. Following the demonstration and road roko, the Revenue Divisional Officer, Pudukottai, Aishwarya, held talks with the shopkeepers, traders and political parties representatives at the taluk office.
Sources said following the meeting the RDO said the issue would be brought to the notice of the higher-ups and that the work taken up at Pallavarayanpathai would be suspended.
A senior Fire and Rescue Service department official said the station had been functioning in a rented building of the Town Panchayat for nearly 20 years. A Government Order had been issued for the construction of a building to house the station at Pallavarayanpathai at a cost of ₹259.6 lakh. Borwell had been sunk at the new site and power connection had been obtained, the official further said.
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