COIMBATORE: A day after tribal people in Puliyakandi near Pollachi announced that they are going to live inside the forest or into the government offices citing their damaged houses, Anamalai Tahsildar and Kottur EO held talks with the people and assured to repair their houses at the earliest, on wednesday afternoon.
VS Paramasivam district President of Tamil Nadu Tribal Welfare association had posted a message in social media alleging that the tribal families in Puliyakandi tribal settlement coming under the Kottur Panchayat near Pollachi are in a constant fear about their condition of the houses that were in dilapidated condition and they may collapse at any time due to the recent incessant rain.
Paramasivam also stated that a portion of the roof of the concrete slab also fell inside the house of tribals Krishnaveni and Anandhi and the inmates miraculously escaped without any injuries on Tuesday night 10 pm.
He also demanded the authorities to repair the houses on war footing and warned that the tribal people will live in government offices or inside the forest, if the government fails to carry out the repair work.
Coming to know about this, Coimbatore district collector K Rajamani who in turn directed the Anamalai Tahsildar Venkatachalam and Williams along with local police inspector Subramaniam to hold talks with the tribal and as well as the association members.
Paramasivam said that out of 40 tribal houses, the team agreed to renovate the ten houses for Rs 2.10 lakh as soon as possible initially and the work will begin soon for remaining people soon after house pattas will be issued to them to the remaining tribal people.
"These houses were constructed by the forest department two decades ago and the conditions of the houses started worsening in the last ten years. Despite repeated appeals, the forest department and the revenue department have not yet carried out repair works and left the tribal people in lurch," said Paramasivam.