DHARMAPURI: Scheduled Caste residents of Ambedkar Nagar in Konangihalli Panchayat demanded the Dharmapuri district administration build paved roads to the burial ground.
"We often carry the bier through patta lands. It is extremely troublesome for people to carry our dead on unpaved paths," said S Kaviarasan, a villager.
A video shared on social media on Friday showed a group of people from the Konangihalli village participating in a funeral procession through rough terrain on patta lands.
The route to the burial ground which is nearly 3 km from the village primarily comprises mud roads. The cortege takes a long time to reach the burial ground. We urge the district administration to provide tar roads so that we can easily transport our dead, villagers said.
Speaking to TNIE, B Sathish, another villager, said, "We have about 60 SC families in our village. It would be easier for us to carry the dead if a road had been built."
"We have been provided revenue lands near the local lake. It is difficult for people to reach the burial ground especially during the rainy season. We have been using private land to shorten the distance, and this at times leads to conflict with the landowners. Tar roads to the burial ground are necessary," he added.
When TNIE reached out to revenue officials, they said, "We are aware of the video, but it has been portrayed wrongly. The video shows as if there is no path to the burial ground. There is no issue here. We have provided a burial ground and a path to it. We will also take necessary steps to provide paved roads."