TIRUPPUR: A family belonging to Scheduled Caste in Tiruppur city has alleged that members of dominant community opposed their presence in the neighbourhood and were blocking power connection to their house for over two years. Further, the family charged officials from the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) of colluding with the dominant community. Weary of using generators and emergency lights, the family has shifted to a rented house.
Rudhrapriya, daughter of Sampath Kumar, said they received a 12-cent plot in Athimara Thottam as share from ancestral property in 2018 and planned a build a house on three cents. “We got plan approval from Tiruppur City Municipal Corporation to construct a house. We applied for a temporary power connection at Vavipalayam office of TNEB in August 2019. Officials inspected the site but kept delaying the power connection. We used a generator and completed the construction in June 2020. Even then TNEB officials did not give the connection.”
Rudhrapriya said that the family paid more than Rs 86,000 as deposit to the TNEB for the power connection. Engineers and staff inspected the site and installed electric poles but did not give connection citing objection from the landowners. “After multiple requests, two electric poles were installed near our plot, still power lines were not installed. We came to know that land owners from dominant community were blocking TNEB’s efforts to give us a connection.”
Marimuthu, a dominant caste landowner in the locality, admitted that some members of his community had objected to the installation of electric poles. “We are holding talks with them. These are issues which need to be discussed in the community.”
TNEB officials said they could not proceed further in the issue. Superintending Engineer (Tiruppur) P Jawahar said, “We have inspected the plot to check the feasibility of either installing poles or drawing line from other poles.” Speaking to TNIE, Tiruppur District Collector Dr S Vineeth said, “The issue will appropriately inquired and action will be taken.”