A large number of elected members, heads of the local bodies of several village panchayats, participated in a protest march in Chennai on Thursday.
The panchayat heads, wearing black, staged their protest march from the Rajarathinam stadium in Egmore to the Secretariat, where a representation was handed over the government. The protesters wanted the independence of the Panchayati Raj system to be protected against the interference of the State and Central governments.
The march, conducted by the Tamizhnadu Ooratchi Mandra Thalaivargal Kootamaippu, saw panchayat presidents participating from several districts of the State.
