COIMBATORE: Forest department officials of the Coimbatore division issued a NOC based on a request by the revenue department to lay a 5.2km tar road in Kadamankombai village near Karamadai.
Earlier in March, tribals were seen carrying the body of a man, who died at the Mettupalayam hospital, to their settlement on a makeshift cradle. After a video of this incident went viral, District Collector Pavankumar G Giriyappanavar assured on March 3 that a road would be developed.
Even though a month has passed, revenue department officials have made slow progress on the project.
On Monday, TNIE confirmed that the block development officer (BDO) of Karamadai sent a proposal to the collector seeking administration sanction (AS) for executing the cement concrete road, at a cost of Rs 1.62 crore, from Pillur Road to Kadamankombai settlement.
"We are waiting for the collector's order. We will get clarity on whether the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) or BDO will execute the project only after the collector's order. After the order, the tender will be floated," said Karamadai BDO.
Another top revenue official of Mettupalayam taluk, who inspected the Kadamankombai settlement soon after the collector's instructions, told TNIE that the tribals need tar roads and electricity facilities. "We have interacted with the people by conducting special Grama Sabha meetings, and they have pattas for their houses and agricultural land. There are 25 newly built houses in the settlement and people will start residing in the new houses once Tangedco issues power connections. As per the collector's instructions, we have asked about the requirements of tribals living in 46 settlements across Mettupalayam taluk. Of 46 settlements, we have completed listing out the requirements of people residing in 16 settlements, and are processing the other settlements too," the official pointed out.
"A total of `17 lakh has been sanctioned for creating EB facilities in these settlements as currently, the residents depend on solar lights," he added.