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Away from the madding crowd

Photo: T.Saravanan

EXPANSIVE Green and serene

Verdant locale, broad roads, good transport facilities, city in close proximity, booming real estate…what else do you expect from a residential area. The Burma Colony-Thiruvalluvar Nagar has all essential requisites of a perfect residential pocket.

Located in Thanakkankulam panchayat just two kilometres away from the Tirupparankundram Municipality, the colony was formed in 1971 when the then State Government allotted lands for those displaced from Burma to Tamil Nadu.

“Don't call us refugees, we are repatriates from Burma. We landed in Madurai in 1965 and settled down in a special camp near Tirunagar. We got this piece of land when the Government allotted lands for the hapless people from Burma,” narrates U. Sekar, a resident of the Colony.

Government's gesture

Around 18 acres were earmarked for the 407 families in which the Government constructed 393 houses leaving seven vacant plots. Each plot including the house measured five cents.

“The houses were constructed and allotted in three lots of 100 houses each. During the final lot the State Government decided to extend the facility to repatriates from Ceylon also,” he informs.

“When the Government distributed pattas under updating registry scheme in 1986-87 to the residents, the vacant lands were handed over to the Burma-Ceylon Tamil's Owners Welfare Association for public utility,” he says.

Now, they have community hall, play ground, library, temples, church and a mosque. The festival of Muthu Mariamman Temple is known for its grand celebration with people from neighbouring locality visiting this place. At such time, the playground is turned into a place for social gathering and various cultural activities.

“The State had to be appreciated for the support it rendered. Most of the beneficiaries were given financial support to start a business of their choice while qualified people were provided with employment in Government services. In fact, for about 10 years from the time of house allotment, we enjoyed the privilege of special quota in Government services,” recounts Mr. Sekar.

Formed recently, the well thought out plan lends itself to broader roads and neatly laid out building constructions with good greenery. The main roads are 50 feet wide while the streets measured 20 feet. “All the main roads are black topped while the streets have metal roads. The panchayat has appointed two persons to clear the garbage regularly from the area,” says P. Kathiravan, joint secretary, Burma Ceylon Tamil's Owners Welfare Association.

With water table at appreciable depth of 100 to 120 feet, there is no scarcity for water. “Earlier, the water was potable and we did not face any hardship for drinking water. But now over exploitation has landed us in trouble as we are at the mercy of the water tanker lorries selling drinking water at a rate of Rs.1 to 1.50 for a pot,” says Mr. Sekar.

The area also has good road connectivity to the city, which is just nine kilometers away. Real estate is booming here as the land rates are increasing every day. A cent of vacant land costs Rs.60,000 to Rs.1 lakh at present. People here expect the rates to go high once the multi-specialty hospital modelled on All India Institute of Medical Sciences comes up at Austinpatti, which is just four kilometers from the colony.

Moreover, with the country's largest expressway project, Golden Quadrilateral, in close proximity, no doubt, the land costs will definitely shoot up.

“A vacant place here has been identified to house the primary health centre of Tirupparankundram. Once it comes up people will have additional medical facility,” says Mr. Kathiravan.

It also has good educational facilities with a higher secondary school and a college of education located in this area. With the information technology park located eight kilometres from here and with all necessary facilities required, the Burma Colony-Thiruvalluvar Nagar stands out as a sought-after residential area.

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