The Cooperation Department has mooted a proposal for starting petrol pumps at Top Sengattupatti – a major village in Pachamalai.
According to sources, the tribal residents reside at three clusters. The first cluster includes Top Sengattupatti, Puthur, Nachilipatti, Boothakal, Thanneerpallam and Theekarai in Tiruchi district. The second cluster includes Mayampadi, Nagore and Gangaiveli in the Salem side. The third cluster falls in the village panchayats of Kombai and Vannadu.
The Large Scale Adivasi Multi-purpose Society has mooted a plan to start two petrol pumps – one at Top Sengattupatti and the second at Manalodai. While the first pump would cater to the needs of the tribal residents of the first two clusters, the second pump would supply fuel to the residents of Kombai and Vannadu village panchayats.
Pachamalai has about 3,000-odd two-wheelers. Two-wheeler forms the easy mode of transport for tribal residents. Tribal family members rely on the two-wheelers for their daily chores, sources told The Hindu on Monday.
The tribal residents not only incur additional expenditure to reach pumps on plains but also get involved in accidents especially while riding up the hills.
