It is dream come true for more than 1,000 tribal people of Velikadu hamlet in Kolli Hills who were longing for bus facility. Minister for Industries and Transport P. Thangamani flagged off a new bus service from Namakkal bus stand to Velikadu here on Sunday in the presence of Collector V. Dakshinamoorthy.
The bus would pass through Muthugapatti, Sendamangalam, Thuthikulam, Kalappanaickenpatti, Nadukombai, Karavalli, Solakadu, Ariyur Solakadu, Kulivalavu, Thenur, Alapatti, Chinnamangalam, Alathur Nadu, Aduvangadu, Kundani Nadu and reach Velikadu.
Over 10 villages are located in these areas that can be accessible only by foot after covering distance of 12 km from Thenur. Presently, bus service is available till Thenur.
The new bus service would cover a total of 80.5 km from bus stand to Velikadu of which bus service is available for the first time for 17.4 km between Thenur and Velikadu.
It would take a minimum of three hours by foot for the tribal people from Velikadu to reach Thenur and take the available bus service to reach Solakadu or the plains. The new bus service would help to reach their work place, officials said.
P.R. Sundaram MP, K.P.P. Baskar MLA, Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation General Manager (Salem Division) Annadurai, Deputy Transport Commissioner S. Velusamy, TNSTC Namakkal Division Manager Ashokan, branch manager P. Palanivel, Kolli Hills Panchayat Union chairman C. Chandrasekar and others were present during the occasion.
