Brick Kiln Workers Block Highway in Vellore, Protest Alleged Extortion by TVK Functionaries
मुख्य बातें
- •Brick kiln workers and families in Vellore’s Puthur village blocked the Cuddalore–Chittoor Highway on May 25, 2026, protesting alleged extortion by TVK functionaries.
- •TVK’s Kaniyambadi East panchayat union secretary T.R. Vijayakumar and associates reportedly demanded ₹1 lakh monthly from each brick kiln operator during a visit on May 22.
- •Over 300 small-scale brick kilns in the region provide seasonal livelihoods to hundreds of families, with silt extraction limited to summer months.
- •Police and revenue officials intervened, leading to peace talks and assurances against recurrence, while directing increased patrols to prevent illegal silt mining at night.
Residents, predominantly brick kiln workers and their families from Puthur village in Vellore district, staged a road blockade on the Cuddalore–Chittoor Highway near the Kaniyambadi bus terminus on Monday, May 25, 2026. The protest was directed against local functionaries of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), who were reportedly demanding ₹1 lakh per month from each brick kiln operator to ensure “smooth operation” of their units without political interference.
