Despite nod from officers, motorable highway continues to be on paper for tribespeople in Marayur

Despite the persistent efforts of a younger tribal woman from Karimutty, a tribal settlement in Marayur, Idukki, a correct highway connectivity to their village, simply 350 m away from the Munnar-Udumalpet National Highway (NH), nonetheless stays on paper, even after approval from the Devikulam Subcollector and State SC/ST Commission.

As many as 20 Hill Pulaya households have been residing within the Karimutty settlement in Marayur grama panchayat for over 100 years. A dust highway connects the settlement with the NH. In 1998, the native physique had paved the highway.

V. Vanitha, who has made repeated makes an attempt for the development of a correct highway to the village, stated that an individual from Marayur had claimed that the highway goes by his personal property and denied the request for a correct highway right here.

“In 2021, the panchayat constructed 54 steps connecting the settlement to the NH. Afterwards, the ‘landowner’ dumped mud on the connecting highway,” she stated.

“I had submitted petitions earlier than the Devikulam Subcollector, District Collector, SC/ST Commission, and 12 authorities departments, together with the Local Self-Government division, for correct connectivity right here. During a sitting with the Sucollector and the SC/ST Commission, it was discovered that the highway was on authorities property and never belonging to any personal individuals,” stated Ms. Vanitha.

Based on an order from the SC/ST Commission, the panchayat and income officers cleared the soil from the highway and made it walkable. “The fee in addition to the Subcollector had instructed the officers to assemble a motorable highway to the settlement final yr. However, this has not been realised until now. The tribespeople now have to hold the sick or the aged on bamboo stretchers. Earlier, a girl gave delivery on the highway whereas on the best way to the hospital,” stated Ms. Vanitha.

The highway is now walkable. However, the development of a motorable highway is barely potential when the Revenue division fingers over the highway to the panchayat, stated a senior panchayat official. “The panchayat will then take the duty for the highway development,” added the official.

The officers from Marayur village workplace haven’t given a transparent response on the difficulty.

The fee has already issued directives for highway development to the tribal settlement, stated a State SC/ST Commission member. We will once more intervene if we obtain one other criticism from the tribespeople, they stated.

District Collector V. Vigneshwari stated she is going to look into the difficulty and take instant steps to resolve it.