The district administration has taken measures to provide electricity and water connection to the tribal villagers in Melvalasai, Kezhilvasai and Akkarapatti.

The administration had also directed the village panchayat to constitute the Forest Rights Committee, to speed up the process of making these basic amenities available to the villagers. District Collector Dr Vijay Pingale, who visited the tribal villages on Wednesday, by walking nearly 8 kms on the steep Kalvaranyan hills, told Express,“We are taking steps to provide electricity to the tribal villages within a month. Power now is available in Kodaram, two-kms from the villages, in Villupuram district.”

After electricity connections are provided, the villagers would get drinking water too. “We will also make efforts to repair the solar lighting facility, which had not been functioning for the last two years,” he said. Further, Pingale said, “We are also planning to bring the tribals to the plains, if they are interested in accepting the house pattas and agriculture lands on the foothills.”

The village panchayat has been directed to form the Forest Rights Committee, comprising two-thirds of women, to avail the basic amenities.

“The committee is entitled to pass a resolution to avail 13 basic needs such as establishing ration shops, formation of roads, health centres and creating water sources,”  District Forest Officer, Tiruvannamalai (South), V Naganathan said.

“We have asked the tribals to pass a resolution seeking drinking water and electricity facilities after forming the Committee. It will be taken into consideration and suitable action will be taken to fulfil their demands,” the Collector added.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Tamil Nadu / by J. Shanmugha Sundaram / ENS – Tiruvannamalai / April 19th, 2013