Sixteen-year-old A. Petchithaai, now a Plus Two student writing her public examinations that started on Monday, and her 11-year-old younger brother Ayyappan, used to do their homework and study their lessons in the night all these years in the feeble light either from a candle or a kerosene lamp as there is no power connection to the small house. They lost her father Arumugam, the sole breadwinner, a few years ago.
When Petchithaai returned home after writing the first public examination on Monday, she could not believe her eyes as work on giving power connection to her house was going on under the watchful eyes of a team of officials, thanks to steps taken by Collector K. Senthil Raj.
After her husband Arumugam passed away a few years ago, A. Lakshmi started selling ‘murukku’ to ensure unhindered studies of her two children and feed them. Since her 10-year-old house with an asbestos sheet roof on ‘naththam poramboke’ land is in the name of her mother-in-law and hence got embroiled in ownership dispute, she could not apply for power connection.
The news of Petchithaai using a kerosene lamp to prepare for public examinations was shared on social media. On seeing this on WhatsApp, Mr. Senthil Raj asked his subordinates to take immediate steps to give power connection to the house.
Within an hour, the officials, led by Sattankulam Tahsildar Thangaiah visited the house with officials from the town panchayat and Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation for creating basic wiring in the house and other infrastructure to give power connection.
As the officials came to know that Ms. Lakshmi did not have enough money for making wiring in the house, paying deposit for the power connection and the lights, Mr. Senthil Raj released ₹11,300 from the Collector’s Discretionary Fund.
The officials - Mr. Thangaiah, Executive Officer of Town Panchayat Usha and Assistant Executive Engineer, TANGEDCO - Sattankulam, Nagarajan camped at the house on Monday. Before dusk, Ms. Lakshmi’s house got electricity much to the delight of the widow and her two children, especially Petchithaai.
“The Collector has not only illuminated my house but also the education of my children, particularly my daughter’s education. We are grateful to the Collector and all the officials,” said Ms. Lakshmi.
