DHARMAPURI: Residents of 13 tribal villages in Vathalmalai region have renewed their three-decade-long demand of integrating all the villages into a single block, since eight fall under Dharmapuri block and the rest under Kadathur block, for easier access to government schemes and to address revenue department-related issues.
The tribal villagers have been demanding the creation of a separate revenue village with Vathalmalai as the headquarters and all the hamlets under the limits of a single police station.
United Communist Party of India (UCPI) district secretary J Prathapan told TNIE, "The revenue headquarters is in Pappireddipatti block, which is over 75 kilometres away. For access to court, the residents have to go to Pappireddipatti, and for police stations, either to Kadathur or Adhiyamankottai.
For block related questions in agriculture and development, the residents have to visit either Kadathur or Dharmapuri block. It is torturous for people to identify where to go and whom to ask to resolve their issues."
In 2023, to enforce said demands, the district administration sent a proposal to the state government, but the residents alleged that no effort had been made in the last two years.
R Kaaliappan from Palsilambu said, "We have been commuting up to 90 kilometres daily, despite the poor connectivity due to limited bus services. This is tedious, tiresome, and it forces us to spend more to access even the basic government services."
When TNIE reached out, one of the revenue officials said, "We have sent a proposal to the state government regarding the integration of Vathalamali into the Dharmapuri block. It is under process and we will soon get the necessary approvals."