PERAMBALUR: More than 1,000 families reside in Perali village, Veppur block, where the roads are riddled with pits and potholes, and street lights have not been functioning for several months. Villagers say the authorities have not come forward to lay roads even after laying the foundation stone.
Transport Minister SS Sivasankar had laid the foundation stone for road laying works six months ago but villagers say no work has been done so far. Notably, Rs 29 crore was allocated to ensure proper roads in the north and south streets of the village.
However, villagers say some areas still lack street lights, while in others they remain lit round-the-clock. They say overhead tanks are not cleaned properly and the panchayat administration is not ensuring proper distribution of drinking water to residents.
Speaking to TNIE, D Muthaiya, a Perali resident, said, "We are not able to travel on two-wheelers due to bad roads. Due to a lack of proper drainage facilities, sewage is left to stagnate in the streets. Mosquito infestation is also high as panchayat officials do not fog the lanes to kill mosquitoes."
"Some street lights are on 24x7 while in some areas lights are not lit at night. Panchayat and Veppur BDOs are negligent to our demands," he added. C Subbaiya, another resident, quipped, "Why are officials delaying the road laying work when funds are allocated and the foundation stone laid? There are not enough drinking water pipes in the streets.
The district administration should also ensure clean drinking water." He also added that the village library should have its own building. When contacted, Assistant Director of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department in Perambalur T Arulalan told TNIE, "I will look into the issues and take necessary steps."