KRISHNAGIRI: In a heartening gesture, Health Minister Ma Subramanian on Tuesday trekked 12 km to the remote tribal hamlets in Bettamugilalam panchayat and listened to grievances of residents. Responding to the residents’ pleas for basic facilities, the Minister promised to set up a primary health centre in the next few months and station a ‘108’ ambulance in the locality.
Taking note of a recent TNIE article titled ‘Child marriages haunt tribal villages’ highlighting the fact that many girl children in the panchayat had to drop out of school and were forced into marriage, the Minister directed the authorities to conduct an awareness programme for the tribals. Subsequently, a team of folk artistes performed a play explaining the ill-effects of child marriages at Kamagiri village in the panchayat on Monday night.
On Tuesday morning, the 62-year-old Minister, who is a fitness enthusiast and a marathon runner, walked nine kilometres uphill from Mookankarai to Kadambakuttai -- both part of Bettamugilalam panchayat. He was accompanied by Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine TS Selvavinayagam, National Health Mission Director Darez Ahamed, Krishnagiri Collector V Jaya Chandra Bhanu Reddy, and District Forest Officer S Prabhu.
During the visit, the tribals aired their grievances to the Minister. In response to a plea seeking renovation of leaky, dilapidated houses, the Minister directed Hosur District Forest Officer S Prabhu to look into the matter. He also promised to take steps to create drinking water facilities and construct an overhead tank in the panchayat.
The Minister spent the night at Kottayurkollai Panchayat Union Middle School. The Minister’s gesture was welcomed by many, cutting across party lines, as no minister or an MLA had stayed in the village so far. On Monday, the minister reviewed various Covid preventive measures in Krishnagiri. He also travelled to Kodakarai and Kottayurkollai tribal villages and promised to improve basic health facilities.