VELLORE: After inspecting the six km-long stretch on which a road connecting Alleri hillock will be laid, District Collector Kumaravel Pandian said that the estimated funds of `5.11 crore are insufficient for the project, on Thursday. Pandian added that a proposal for approval of the plan has been sent to the Centre.
Pandian's visit comes after two individuals died of snakebite in two months due to inaccessible medical facilities because of poor road infrastructure there. As a result, a road plan was chalked out to connect Alleri to Varathalampattu in Anaicut. For the past two days, revenue and forest departments have been surveying a six-hectare land in Kottaimalai that will be used as an alternative to the three hectares of forest land for this stretch. According to regulations, the revenue department is supposed to provide double the land to the forest department for road construction.
The measurement process has been completed, and the findings submitted to the forest department for further action. The data has also been uploaded to the Parivesh portal for approval from the Centre. In addition to this, collector Pandian studied the impending road construction, including measures to prevent soil erosion during rains, considering bends and curves, and levelling areas, all the way from Varathalampattu to Alleri. Collector Pandian walked the entire route for the same. Then, he visited the family of Shankar, who recently died due to snakebite, and provided them with an aid of `50,000.
Collector Pandian also unveiled plans to establish four new schools with well-qualified teachers in Alleri, adequately staffed medical facilities, with a new ambulance to be acquired soon to replace the existing temporary one. He also asked officials to offer free housing to the homeless residents in Alleri, either through the free housing or the Adi Dravidar Welfare Scheme.