Mon Feb 03 13:27:53 UTC 2025: ## Koothur Villagers Protest Proposed Merger with Tiruchi Corporation
**Tiruchi, February 3, 2025** – Villagers from Koothur, including members of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), staged a protest on Monday against a proposed merger of their village panchayats with the Tiruchi Corporation. The demonstration took place outside the District Collectorate.
Protesters fear the merger will eliminate employment opportunities under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS), jeopardizing the livelihoods of rural residents. K. Sivarajan, district secretary of the CPI(M)-Tiruchi Rural, stated that the proposed merger would result in the loss of these crucial rural jobs. The concerns highlight anxieties surrounding the potential impact of the merger on the Koothur community’s economic well-being.
First Piper 