Tamil Nadu: Tribal village to get road at last, thanks to collector

Salem: The long-pending demand by the tribal people of Neyyamalai village in the hill area near Salem for a bitumen road may soon find the light of day, thanks to an assurance by a concerned district collector Rohini R. Bhajubakare. During an inspection of the area and adjoining hamlets, she promised to take steps to build a ‘pucca’ road to reach the tribal village.  

After reviewing panchayat development works at Neyyamalai and Pethanaikenpalayam villages, the collector said here on Friday, “about 800 families are residing in the village and they have to travel eight-km through dense hills areas to reach other nearby places to sell their agricultural produce and for other domestic purposes. The village does not have tar road for a three-km stretch as it traverses through the reserved forest limit. But considering people’s demand for a proper road for transportation purposes, steps will be taken to lay a road.”

 The collector also announced that local residents would be distributed ‘pattas’ for their houses and lands at the scheduled grama sabha meeting on December 12. “The certificates would be helpful for getting assistance under government schemes to construct houses. Already 62 tribal residents have been given house-site pattas. Similarly, officials have been told to create awareness on various needs of tribals in the area,” Ms Rohini explained. 

 In the course of her inspection tour today, the collector also visited a government school in the village and spent some time to take lessons for the students. The district forest officer (Athur), Periyasamy, revenue divisional officer, Selvam, DRDA executive engineer, Arumugam and plan officer (tribal welfare), P. T. Sundaram were among those who accompanied the Salem collector.