Pudukkottai: The agitation against the Union government's move to extract hydrocarbons at Neduvasal and Nallandarkollai villages in Pudukkottai district entered the 17th day on Saturday. Significantly, a large number of women agitators took part in the agitation today.
The women folk, besides staging demonstration, also performed traditional 'kummi and kolattam' folk dances and celebrated World Women's Day in advance at the venue.
According to the agitators, they would continue their agitation until there was a formal assurance that the hydrocarbons project was being withdrawn.
Among others, DMK Rajya Sabha MP, Tiruchy N Siva, Dravidar Vidhuthalai Kazhagam president Kolatghur Mani, film director Karu.Palaniappan and others spoke at the protest venue.
A group of students formed a human chain around the experimental bore-well erected for extraction of Hydrocarbon at Nallandarkollai on Saturday.
Meanwhile, police arrested 12 students of a private college when they attempted to leave for Neduvasal, near central bus stand at Tiruchy on Thursday.
Another group of agitators left for Madurai to meet the Union minister of state for Shipping Pon. Radhakrishnan and state BJP president, Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan, to discuss the issue with them.
The agitation at Kottaikadu was withdrawn on Friday, as the Revenue authorities gave a written undertaking on the villager's demand. During the talks with the district collector S Ganesh on Friday night, the villagers demanded that the authorities should return the lands acquired from them for the project, on which the collector asked the tashildar Alangudi, to give a written undertaking to the villagers. The tashildar complied with the collector's order, leading to the people of that village withdrawing their agitation.
