NAGAPATTINAM: AS Arasankuppam village in Sembanarkoil block still remains underdeveloped, young women from adjacent villages refuse to marry men from the village.
Around 20 families are said to have relocated to Sirkazhi and Vaitheeswarankoil within the last two years for this reason. More than 200 residents of Arasankuppam in Kondathur Panchayat in the district are unhappy with the government as no developmental works have been carried out since Independence.
“Nothing has been done here except electrification. We have to walk over 2 km to fetch drinking water and to buy ration from PDS shops. There is not even an elementary school. Even Class I children have to walk up to Kondathur to reach the school. As the nearest bus stop is at Kurumbaanangudi, about 2 km from our villagel,” said T Chitti Babu (35), a villager from Arasankuppam. “Even though I am a graduate earning sufficient money to run a family, I could marry only at 35. Another 10 youth have been looking for brides for long. But the families of girls are reluctant,” Babu added.
“There were about 50 families in our village earlier. About 20 families have left in the last two years. There is no proper road. Even ambulances cannot enter our village to take a patient during an emergency. We lost one of our friends T Suresh in 2015, as we could not take him to hospital in time,” said G Jayakumar, another local who has done his BE.
“Though we have petitioned the Chief Minister’s Cell, Collector, Minister, MP, MLA, Tahsildar, BDO and other officials, no action followed. If the situation prevailed, the rest 30 families would also have to vacate the village and relocate elsewhere. We do not even have a graveyard. We have to depend on facilities in other villages even for that,” Jayakumar said.
Speaking to Express, O S Manian, Minister for Textiles and Handlooms, said, “Arasankuppam is not exactly a village. It was a vacant area, which belongs to Vaitheeswaran Temple. A few have moved in and settled here about 20 years ago. They do not have land pattas.”