Residents threaten to boycott elections in Pudukkottai dist

Pudukkottai: Residents of Mathur panchayat, Viralimalai block in Pudukkottai district, have raised banners announcing a boycott of the 2026 assembly elections, citing decades-long patta issues and alleged inaction by the revenue department.Banners put up in the area state that more than 250 families in Anna Nagar have been residing on pieces of land for more than 50 years with registered title deeds. However, land parcels were wrongly reclassified as "govt poramboke", preventing issuance or transfer of pattas, residents said.Dharmaraj, the head of Anna Nagar housing association, said repeated petitions to the district administration for the past decade have brought no resolution. He claimed that the panchayat has refused to collect house taxes due to the absence of pattas, leaving them unable to sell or borrow using their properties.Residents also alleged irregularities in converting 4.5 acres of burial ground into patta land using ‘fraudulent' documents. Despite a directive from the Madurai bench of Madras high court, residents said no action has been taken in the issue.