•A public grievance meeting at the Sivaganga District Collector’s office turned chaotic on Monday due to confusion over token distribution.
•Over 300 people arrived, but only 50 tokens were issued initially, leading to public outrage and arguments.
•Police intervened, explaining that more tokens would be given only after the first 50 registered their petitions, but this did little to calm the crowd.
•A scuffle broke out when people tried to rush the registration counter; police had to physically intervene to restore order.
•Petitioners criticized the arbitrary token distribution, calling for a fair queuing system instead of random issuance.
•The incident has raised concerns about transparency and efficiency in managing public meetings in government offices.
•No official statement has been released by district authorities regarding the incident or preventive measures.
Tension flared inside the Sivaganga District Collector’s office on Monday when a public grievance meeting descended into chaos after confusion erupted over token distribution for petition registration.
More than 300 people had gathered at the collectorate with petitions to submit, but only 50 tokens were issued in the first round. The revenue department staff attempted to manage the crowd by distributing tokens, but the arbitrary method of issuance—without regard to arrival order—sparked heated arguments. Witnesses reported that people who had arrived earlier were bypassed as tokens were handed out “at the staff’s own whim,” leaving many waiting without clarity.
As frustration grew, a group of petitioners confronted staff and police personnel, demanding tokens. According to police present at the scene, they explained that only 50 tokens were available at the time and that additional tokens would be distributed only after those who had received them completed their petition registration. “Only 50 tokens are currently available. Once those who have already received tokens register their petitions, more tokens will be issued. Until then, you must maintain patience,” a police official stated during the tense standoff.
However, the explanation failed to calm the crowd. Several people attempted to rush toward the petition registration counter, leading to a physical altercation as police intervened to block them. The situation escalated into a scuffle before officers managed to restore order. Following the disturbance, tokens were distributed again in a second round, but public dissatisfaction remained high.
Speaking to reporters after the incident, several petitioners expressed disappointment with the handling of the situation. “There is a waiting room for the public at the petition registration counter,” one person said. “They could have made people stand in a queue in front of that room and sent them in for token distribution. Instead, the staff distributed tokens haphazardly at their own whim, without identifying who came first or last. On top of that, they gave tokens to only 50 people and made the rest wait. This caused unnecessary confusion.”
The public grievance meeting, meant to provide a platform for citizens to raise their concerns, was overshadowed by the procedural breakdown. While the police managed to prevent further escalation, the incident has raised questions about the efficiency and fairness of token distribution systems in government offices during high-public-attendance events.
District administration officials have yet to issue an official statement regarding the incident or outline measures to prevent such recurrences. The episode has left many in the community questioning the transparency and accountability of local governance processes.
