Thondi town panchayat council meeting adjourned after chairperson walks out - The HinduPublished - October 12, 2026 07:43 pm IST - RAMANATHAPURAMThondi town panchayat council chairperson Shahjahan Banu staged a walkout during a meeting here on Monday, citing persistent non-cooperation from administrative officials.The development comes amidst heightened public dissatisfaction with the local administration. In recent days, community members and local youth groups circulated posters across Thondi warning of protests to lock the town panchayat office over unaddressed basic civic amenities.Anticipating potential law-and-order disruptions, police personnel were deployed to secure the premises ahead of the session.The council meeting, which was scheduled to convene at 11 a.m., came to an abrupt halt shortly after commencement. Ms. Banu, a DMK representative who heads the council, publicly accused executive staff of obstructing civic projects before leaving the floor.“Town panchayat officials are failing to extend full cooperation for any operational work,” Ms. Banu stated during the session. “This ongoing non-cooperation has created a bottleneck, making it impossible to deliver basic essential services and infrastructure to the public.”Several ward members joined the chairperson in boycotting the proceedings. With the head of the council absent, presiding authorities were forced to adjourn the session without taking up any agenda items.Addressing the chairperson’s allegations, Thondi Town Panchayat Executive Officer Balasubramanian defended the administrative staff, rejecting claims of deliberate non-cooperation.“The executive staff continues to extend full support to the council, and works approved during council sessions are being executed systematically,” Mr. Balasubramanian said.“The chairperson walked out without specifying the exact operational grievances. Minor delays in certain tasks are purely attributable to existing staff shortages, not a lack of intent. As the chairperson chose to boycott the meeting, the council stands adjourned until next week.”Published - October 12, 2026 07:43 pm ISTSign in to unlock member-only benefits!Access 10 free stories every monthSave stories to read laterAccess to comment on every storySign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single clickGet notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products${ ind + 1 } ${ device }Last active - ${ la }