KRISHNAGIRI: All 12 families living in Madheswaran Kovai, a hamlet in Madakkal panchayat falling under Thalli block, have abandoned the habitat because they do not have a road that will give access to a host of services including medical care. The last family left the village recently.
Speaking to TNIE, Srinivasan (41), a villager who is staying in Anchetti by paying Rs 2,500 as rent, said, “Around forty people lived in the village. In order to reach the main road near Arulnatham village from Madheswaran Kovai, we have to trek for around two kilometres. This is tough for my children as they have to go to school. So, I shifted to Anchetti, four months ago.”
For over two years, none from the village pursued higher education due to a lack of roads, he said, adding that many have migrated to places like Anchetti, Jawlagiri, Milidikki. There are around 60 acres of patta land in Madheswaran Kovai, where the locals cultivated crops. A visit to the village now shows the lands overrun by weeds.
G Janarthanan (27), another resident said his family owned nine acres and cultivated ragi until last year. “I shifted to Milidikki and my brothers migrated to Karnataka,” he said. Janarthanan is working at a mosquito net manufacturing unit in Karur.
When asked about the issue, Madakkal panchayat secretary Vijaya Kumar said letters were sent to Thalli Block Development Officer(BDO) several times regarding the issue, but they pleaded helplessness saying they need several lakh of rupees to lay the 3-km road from Arulnatham junction to Madheswaran Kovai. Thalli BDO Nagarathnam said his team will inspect the habitation and inform the district collector about the situation.Anchetti Tahsildar R Thenmozhi said, “Laying of roads is under of the purview of rural development department. If we get such complaints, we forward them to the Block Development Officer.”