Road Blockade Saterday At Coimbatore
Residents of Lakshmipuram at Ganapathy in the city staging a road blockade on Saturday urging the highway authorities to stop closing the bylanes under the upcoming rail overbridge on Sathyamangalam Road, near Textool. (Right) Students of Dr. Ambedkar Government College Boys Hostel staging a demonstration on Dr. Balasundaram Road in protest against the poor quality of food in the hostel.
Flash protests by residents and students in various parts of the city disrupted traffic on Saturday. Irate residents of Lakshmipuram in Ganapathy area off Sathyamangalam Road on Saturday blocked the road protesting over the closure of approach ways to residential areas on either side of Sathyamangalam Road below the upcoming railway over bridge. ’ The residents said that the flyover plan should include way to the residential areas on the left of the upcoming flyover.
Even during the construction of the flyover residents alleged that they had been put to untold hardship. Revenue, police, highways and corporation officials held talks with the agitators and following assurances to hammer out a solution, the road blockade was lifted. This led to disruption of traffic on the busy National Highway for a few hours. Student inmates of the Government Hostel on Dr. Balasundaram Road in the City also resorted to a flash protest by blocking the road condemning the poor quality and unhygienic condition of the food served to them as well as the maintenance of the hostel.
The Collectorate officials, police and revenue authorities held talks with the students and promised to sort out the problem, following which the road blockade was withdrawn. The Joint Action Committee of Public Sector General Insurance Employees staged a demonstration in front of the United India Insurance Company Limited office on Dr. Nanjappa Road in protest against the decision of the Centre to hike the foreign direct investment in the Insurance Sector. The demonstrators condemned the decision to hike the FDI in insurance sector from 26 per cent to 49 per cent and also opposed the plans to amend the Insurance Act of 1938.
