VELLORE: Around 10 government school students and nearly 50 residents of Velleri village petitioned Collector V R Subbulaxmi on Monday, urging her to restore the operation of a government bus that has stopped reaching their area for a week.
Speaking to TNIE, a resident, J Valarmathi, said that following earlier requests, the collector had arranged for a government bus to reach their village last month. However, the service has been disrupted, allegedly due to obstruction by a resident of nearby Sendrampalli.
"Rocks have been placed at a street turning and a vehicle parked nearby, making it impossible for the bus to take a turn. He has also constructed a cement covering for underground drain, which juts out to the road, affecting passage of the bus," said Valarmathi.
Residents allege that M Prakash of Sendrampalli is behind this. “He is upset that buses which previously ran between Vellore and Sendrampalli now have their destination boards changed to Vellore–Velleri,” said G Loganathan, another resident.
This disruption severely affects school students, many of whom are forced to walk 1.5 km from Velleri to Sendrampalli to catch the morning bus and again in the evening to return home.
“To catch the 8 am bus from Sendrampalli, we have to start walking by 7:30 am without eating breakfast. Some of us even faint in school,” said R Vijaya, a student.
“It’s difficult to walk that far with our heavy bags,” added V Avanya, a Class 6 student.
If they miss the 8 am bus, the next one is at 9 am, which gets them to school late. “We have revision classes from 8 to 9 am ahead of exams. When we arrive at 9:30, teachers ask why we missed the class, and we have to wait outside till the period ends,” said S Kavya of class 8.
“Even Class 10 students giving public exams faced issues last Friday because of this,” said P Ashwini, a Class 9 student.
In the evening too, students have to walk back in the dark. Valarmathi said, “On the way, there are mango fields, coconut fields, a graveyard, and a nearby forest, where snakes, elephants, and leopards wander. We fear for the safety of our children.”
When asked about the issue, the general manager of TNSTC in Vellore said, “The issue is being created by a resident. The collector has asked the area tahsildar to look into it and clear the obstacles and encroachments. If that is done, the bus will resume service.”