Villagers lock panchayat office to press demand for road

Puducherry, Feb 18 (PTI): Residents of nearby Tirubhuvanaivillage today locked the main gate of the panchayat office topress their demand that municipal authorities take up works tolay the road, funds for which were earmarked a year ago.

The villagers also demanded that the Local Administrationdepartment post a French knowing document writer to registermarriages of French nationals as lack of such staff washitting the statutory registration of the nationals.

They also demanded a ban on plying of heavy vehiclesthrough the village as the roads could not bear the weight.

Police officials failed in their bid to convince them thattheir demands would be taken up for implementation and theresidents staged a dharna on the Puducherry-Villupuram road,affecting vehicular traffic for more than 40 minutes.

The agitators gave up their stir after officials of PWDLocal Administration Departments arrived at the spot and helddiscussions with the villagers, promising them that stepswould be taken to concede their demands. The main door of thepanchayat office was then opened, officials said.