Coimbatore: The city police’s attempt to persuade the opposition parties to withdraw their July 31 protest against the privatization of 24*7 water supply project failed.The opposition parties, including DMK, Congress, MDMK, VCK, Left parties and few other political outfits, have planned to besiege the city municipal corporation at Town Hall in the city on July 31. They have also planned to conduct meeting with ward-level party leaders across 100 words in the corporation from July 20 to July 23. The objective of the meetings is to gather public at the corporation main building on July 31 to protest privatization of water supply.Anticipating trouble during the protest on July 31, the city police convened a meeting with opposition parties at RS Puram police station on Tuesday. The police requested the parties to withdraw their protest on July 31. But the opposition parties replied that protests were legitimate forms of opposition and they would continue with their plan.The state government had given the contract worth Rs 3,150 crore to the French-based Suez company in February 2018 to implement 24x7 water supply in sCoimbatore.The contract period was given to 26 years to the private company including one-year study period, four years of implementation period and 21 years of maintenance period.The opposition parties (except BJP and few outfits) have decided to issue handbills to create awareness among the public about the disadvantage of the 24x7 drinking water supply. The party cadres will visit all the 100 wards and will issue the handbills door to door.Singanallur DMK MLA N Karthick said, “If the corporation is implementing a scheme against the welfare of the people of the city, we have to oppose the corporation. So, we are going to besiege the corporation.”

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