Madurai: Tamilnadu Chief Minister M K Stalin today personally took part in a Grama Sabha meeting at the Pappapatti reserved panchayat, in his first ever visit, on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanthi celebrations.
The Reserved Panchayat became notorious for not allowing people belonging to the Scheduled Castes to become the head of the rural local body for nearly 10 years.
More than 1,500 police personnel were deployed on security duty in view of Stalin’s visit. On his way to to Pappapatti panchayat after landing in this temple town, Stalin took time off, came out his car, and interacted with the farmers, who were cultivating crops in a farm land and heard their grievances.
Along with Pappapatti, Keeripatti and Nattamangalam in the district and Kottakatchiyendal in Virudhunagar had become an eye-sore after a dominant group obstructed the process of electing the president, after the panchayats were reserved for SCs in 1996.
The election could not be held for 10 years, as eligible persons were not allowed to file nominations. However, when the district administration tried to initiate penal action, the group made its SC representatives file nominations, elected them and later forced them to resign.
After the DMK came back to power in 2006, the then Chief Minister, M.Karunanidhi and the then Local Administration Minister Stalin showed special interest to conduct elections to all the four reserved panchayats without triggering any social tension.
After the Grama Sabha meet, Stalin inspected the Primary Agricultural Cooperative Society in K Nattarpatti, visited the Gandhi Memorial on West Masi Street, inaugurated a Khadicraft sale and paid a visit to the Gandhi Museum.
He also inspected the site where the Kalaignar Memorial Library has been proposed to be constructed.