VELLORE: Residents of Vellari village in Vellore's KV Kuppam taluk submitted a petition to Collector P S Leela Alex on Monday, seeking the resumption of a Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) bus service to their village, which was discontinued over four months ago.
Residents said the discontinuation has caused severe hardship to the public, especially students who now walk long distances to reach their schools or the nearest bus stand.
The villagers said that their village falls under the Kilmuttukur panchayat in KV Kuppam taluk and is located on the foothills of the Eastern Ghats, near the Tamil Nadu-Andhra Pradesh border, adjoining a reserve forest. "In December 2024, a young woman was killed in a leopard attack in the area.
Following this, the then Collector V R Subbulaxmi conducted an inspection and based on the residents' requests, arranged for three government buses to Vellari village. However, it has been abruptly stopped again," said S Venkatesan, a villager.
The three buses used to operate from Gudiyatham to Vellari via Kilmuttukur and Vaduganthangal. However, after operating for around a year, these buses now only go as far as Chendrapalli, residents alleged.
"Around 60-70 students from the area walk over a kilometre to reach the nearest bus stand at Chendrapalli. Students and adults are walking in fear following the animal attack in 2024," said Venkatesan.