While political discussions across Tamil Nadu remain focused on which party will form the next government, residents of Ajjanoor in the Ooty Assembly constituency used the election to highlight their long-pending land dispute by boycotting the polls and later voting for NOTA.
The issue centres around ownership of the land on which the villagers reside. The Forest Department claims the area is forest land and part of a reserved forest, while residents say that it belongs to the Revenue Department.
Sources said several residents later cast their votes in favour of NOTA to express their protest against the district administration. On polling day, police officials reportedly assured villagers that their grievances would be addressed after the elections. Out of 941 voters, 768 cast their votes.
According to The New Indian Express, local resident Balakrishnan said no concrete steps had been taken despite repeated representations to the district administration since 2017.
“We opposed the Forest Department’s move and demanded pattas in the same year. The district administration issued pattas to 160 families in 2018. Now, the Forest Department claims that the pattas issued by the district administration are invalid. We have been facing this issue since 2018,” he said.
He further alleged that the Forest Department had barred residents from plucking tea leaves, affecting their livelihoods.
He added that the district administration had failed to convene a joint meeting involving the Forest and Revenue Departments to resolve the issue.
According to The New Indian Express, a local body official said steps would be taken to address the issue by convening a meeting between the departments concerned.
Residents are now hoping that the new government will take concrete steps to resolve the long-pending land dispute.
