THOOTHUKUDI: Owing to swift action by Collector K Senthil Raj, a college girl with disability from Sithan Nagar near Nalattinpudur now has a wheelchair-friendly 60-metre paved-block road leading to her house.
Thangamariammal (19), daughter of Perumalsamy and Nallamari, was diagnosed with disability since she was two and a half years old. With no road leading to her house, the girl had to be carried on her parents’ shoulders in and out of the one-km-long street until now.
On June 27, Thangamariammal, who is studying BA English at a government college in Tirunelveli, submitted a petition to the Collector seeking a road on her street. Wasting no time, Senthil Raj ordered the Kovilpatti Union officials to lay a paver-block road at Sithan Nagar.
“It was difficult for me to see my parents struggle every time I had to go in and out of the house. Now, thanks to the officials, I can move about easily,” the 19-year-old said. According to Kovilpatti Block Development Officer Seenivasan, the paver-block road is 60-metre long and 3 metres wide. It was built at an estimated cost of Rs 2 lakh from the panchayat general fund.
According to the Collector’s instructions, steps will also be taken to lay a bituminous tar road near the student’s house. Expressing extreme happiness, Perumalsamy, an MGNREGA worker, said he had submitted several petitions at the collectorate, Kovilpatti taluk office, union office and Nalattinpudur panchayat office over the past ten years seeking the laying of road in the colony. “I am grateful to the officials. My daughter can move about much comfortably and safely now,” he added.