Despite nod from officials, motorable road is still on paper for tribespeople in Marayur

Despite the persistent efforts of a young tribal girl from Karimutty, a tribal settlement in Marayur, Idukki, a proper road connectivity to their village, just 350 m away from the Munnar-Udumalpet National Highway (NH), still remains on paper, even after approval from the Devikulam Subcollector and State SC/ST Commission.

As many as 20 Hill Pulaya families have been living in the Karimutty settlement in Marayur grama panchayat for over 100 years. A dirt road connects the settlement with the NH. In 1998, the local body had paved the road.

V. Vanitha, who has made repeated attempts for the construction of a proper road to the village, said that a person from Marayur had claimed that the road goes through his private property and denied the request for a proper road here.

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

“I had submitted petitions before the Devikulam Subcollector, District Collector, SC/ST Commission, and 12 government departments, including the Local Self-Government department, for proper connectivity here. During a sitting with the Sucollector and the SC/ST Commission, it was found that the road was on government property and not belonging to any private persons,” said Ms. Vanitha.

Based on an order from the SC/ST Commission, the panchayat and revenue officials cleared the soil from the road and made it walkable. “The commission as well as the Subcollector had instructed the officials to construct a motorable road to the settlement last year. However, this has not been realised till now. The tribespeople now have to carry the sick or the elderly on bamboo stretchers. Earlier, a woman gave birth on the road while on the way to the hospital,” said Ms. Vanitha.

The road is now walkable. However, the construction of a motorable road is only possible when the Revenue department hands over the road to the panchayat, said a senior panchayat official. “The panchayat will then take the responsibility for the road construction,” added the official.

The officials from Marayur village office have not given a clear response on the issue.

The commission has already issued directives for road construction to the tribal settlement, said a State SC/ST Commission member. We will again intervene if we receive another complaint from the tribespeople, they said.

District Collector V. Vigneshwari said she will look into the issue and take immediate steps to resolve it.