THOOTHUKUDI: Residents of Keelnattukurichi have urged the officials to start relaying the Thappathi-Sakkilipatti-Keelnattukurichi-Kailasapuram road, which has been pending for a long time.
After several years of demand to relay the damaged Sakkilipatti-Keelnattukurichi road, the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) floated a tender for an estimate of Rs 3.5 crore to reconstruct the Thapathi-Sakkilipatti-Keelnattukurichi-Kailasapuram road in November 2023.
Subsequently, a bhoomi puja was also conducted in December. Sources said that the contractor had constructed four minor bridges on the proposed section, however, the road construction did not start, leaving the public in misery. Thangaraj, a farmer and the former president of Keelnattukurichi panchayat, said that the road has been a primary access for the villagers to reach the Thoothukudi-Madurai National Highway.
The road is filled with potholes, and is unmotarable. It is even hard to shift people to hospitals during an emergency.
Another farmer said that this is a key road that leads to the Irukkankudi temple, and several hundred devotees, workers, students, and farmers depend on this stretch.
The district administration must take necessary steps to begin the road project for the benefit of the public.
When asked, an official who wished to remain anonymous said that a notice has been served to the contractor asking him to expedite the road work.