SALEM: Residents of Aladipatti, a tribal settlement near Kalvarayan hills, have urged the State government for road connectivity to Salem and Dharmapuri districts. Aladipatti comes under the Ayothiyapattinam Panchayat Union and has a population of 5000. Farming is the main occupation and people depend on markets in Salem and Dharmapuri to sell millets and vegetables.
J Stalin of Tamil Nadu Tribal People Association told TNIE that people using the ghat road from Pungansolai to Kombur are at the risk of an animal attack.
Speaking to TNIE, Aladipatti panchayat president M Ezhumalai said it takes three hours for them to reach Salem and five hours to Attur. "Students have to travel 15 km to reach Puzhuthikuttai to access the internet for online classes. There is only one bus between Salem and Aladipatti. In case of emergency, we need to find our own means to travel," he added. Further, they need to travel at least 25 km to reach Vazhapadi in Salem district for essentials like groceries, medicine etc.
Communist Party of India (CPI) district secretary, A Mohan, said the village has one Primary Health Centre and people have to go to Salem or Attur even if there is an emergency like pregnancies, snakebite or animal attack.
A high school, which was upgraded to higher secondary school this year, was assigned 17 teachers, but only 10 teachers are currently working there. Moreover, if any teacher misses the bus, they would not be able to take classes that day, Mohan added. "For higher studies, students have to go to Salem or Attur or Pappireddipatti in Dharmapuri. As there is only one bus, they need to leave home at 5:30 am," he said.
"If the State government lays a road from Pugansolai to Kombur ghat road for 3.5 km, it will cut three hours travel time for students and farmers and easier to reach Pappireddipatti and Harur Road. A one-km road in Salem district and a three-km road in Dharmapuri district needs to be laid as well for this. We staged several protests in the past highlighting the demand, but no action was taken," he added.
When contacted, District Collector S Karmegam said he has directed officials to study the feasibility of the project, and action would be taken after receiving the report.