Appealing to Collector M. Karunakaran to give him a retrofitted bike, a physically challenged labourer submitted a petition on Monday along with his hearing impaired wife and two sons.
Even as C. Suresh Kumar of Keezhapattam near Palayamkottai and his wife Sundari were sitting in the hand-pedalled tricycle, their sons S. Rajaselvam (14) and S. Esakkimuthu (10), studying class VI and class VIII respectively, pushed it towards the meeting hall where Dr. Karunakaran was chairing the grievance day meet.
In the petition submitted to the Collector, Mr. Suresh Kumar said he had submitted appeals to the officials of District Differently Abled Rehabilitation Office here on a few occasions seeking free retrofitted bike as he could easily take his wife to their workplace. However, his petition had evoked no response from the officials, he said.
Creation of park sought
Members of Aathi Thamizhar Katchi submitted a petition urging the Collector to create a park around Ondiveeran Memorial at Palayamkottai.
The petitioners, led by their district secretary K.K. Kalaikannan, said though 64 cents of land was acquired for establishing the memorial, only 15 cents had been used for creating the structure with the statue of the martyr and the remaining area remained vacant.
“As a few thousand people would visit the memorial on the death anniversary of Ondiveeran on August 20, the acquired land should be used for creating additional facilities. Since this vacant land actually acquired for the memorial can be utilised for creating a park around the memorial with drinking water, toilets, etc., the district administration should establish these facilities,” the petitioners said.
“Open part-time
ration shop”
Another group of Dalits from Thenpoththai said they were not being properly given the essential commodities being sold through the ration shop located in the area where caste Hindus were living.
“Since the ration shop is being administered by a caste Hindu, he refuses to give us the essential commodities. Moreover, Dalits cannot freely visit the village panchayat office, also situated amidst the houses of caste Hindus. Hence, the Collector should instruct the officials concerned to open a part-time ration shop in the Dalits’ area,” the petitioners said.
