KRISHNAGIRI: Workers and children of four Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) centres in Uthangarai are set to endure the harsh summer as the power connection has been delayed. The centres are situated in Vellakuttai, Singarapettai, Narsampatti and Ganapathy Nagar. ICDS sources said all four centres paid a deposit of Rs 4,786 each in October last year, but the supply is yet to be given.
Uma, who is in charge of the ICDS in Vellakuttai told TNIE, “We paid Rs 4, 786 last year, but did not get the power connection. When I enquired with EB officials, they told me to arrange transportation of poles from their office to the centre. How is it possible for us to do it? The ICDS department sanctioned Rs 2, 650 in August last year to pay a deposit for the EB connection, but due to the delay from our side, we deposited it in October. By then the amount was increased to Rs 4, 800. We pooled in the remaining amount.” Unnamalai, ICDS worker in Singarapettai said, “EB staff told us to take a connection from a nearby pole as a temporary measure. We don’t have the money to do that.”
Uthangarai block Child Development Project Officer Sakthi Subhashini said they paid the deposit for 13 centres. Four centres were not given power connection, of which, the applicant has born the cost of wiring from the post in three centres. We will arrange it soon. For the centre at Vellakuttai, the EB department should transport the pole from their office.”
When contacted, the executive engineer of Tangedco Tirupattur Arul Pandiyan, under which Singarapettai falls, said he was unaware of the issue. According to his data, there are no pending service connections in Singarapettai for ICDS.
Further, he said that EB staff should not ask applicants from a government department to arrange transport for poles. He clarified that applicants must bear the cost of wiring from the bar to the buildings. Further, he assured me to look into the issue.
Krishnagiri district collector Deepak Jacob also assured us to look into the issue.