TIRUPPUR: Gokul Garden in Poomalur Panchayat in Palladam is without street lights for the last seven years, putting around 200 families to difficulty after dusk. The local body officials claim the settlement is illegal and the realtor who developed it did not obtain DTCP approval, because of which amenities could not be provided.
M Saravanan (36) a resident of Gokul Garden, said, “I bought a plot measuring 2.5 cents in Gokul Garden in 2016. Though we have water connection and domestic power connection, we have yet to get street lights. Since there are overgrown bushes in vacant plots, it is dangerous for children and the elderly. Despite submitting petitions to the panchayat several times, there has been no response.”
Another resident, K Chelladurai, said, “I bought the site and house in 2016. More than 200 families live in 10 streets. Almost all streets are 30 feet wide and 500-700 metres long, but there are no street lights. We submitted petitions to TANGEDCO and Panchayat office but they have not given a proper reply”
An official from TANGEDCO (Palladam) said, “The people are eligible for domestic power connection, but street lights fall under the jurisdiction of local bodies. We are yet to receive a formal letter from Poomalur Panchayat. Based on the scheme documents submitted by the panchayat officials, we will install street lights.”
Poomalur Panchayat President P Priyanka said, “Some of the sites of the scheme aren’t handed over to our panchayat. Besides, some of the sites are yet to get DTCP approval. They have handed over the reserve site.” The promoters however, refute these statements. The manager of Thirumurugan Real Estate, which developed the property, Selvakumar said, ”We bought 14 acres of land from a few individuals in 2015 and resold around 410 individual sites in 2016.
All the sites have received DTCP approvals. Otherwise, there will be no water connection or domestic electric connections. We have also handed over reserve site measuring 1 acre and all street roads to the Poomalur Panchayat. All the documents and their copies are in their office.”
An official in the district administration said, “We have informed the BDO (Palladam) to look into the issue. The officials will check the records and approvals of the entire site in Poomalur Panchayat. Based on the outcome, a formal letter will be submitted to TANGEDCO for street lights.”