The Tenkasi (Reserved) Parliamentary constituency, which has been blessed with immense tourism potential and mineral wealth, is gradually losing its sheen and green with the people in power aggressively looting it for making unimaginably huge money within a short span.
The reserved constituency has 15,16,183 voters consistiing of 7,42,158 men, 7,73,822 women and 203 other voters, who will cast their votes in 1,743 polling booths in six Assembly segments of Tenkasi, Kadayanallur, Vasudevanallur, Sankarankovil, all in Tenkasi district, and Rajapalayam and Srivilliputhur in neighbouring Virudhunagar district.
After all his efforts to continue in the alliance with the BJP-led NDA failed, Puthiya Thamizhagam founder K. Krishnasamy moved to the AIADMK-led coalition to be fielded in Tenkasi Parliamentary constituency. Interestingly, he is testing his electoral fortune for the 7th time after unsuccessfully contesting the Parliamentary elections in this constituency on six occasions since 1998. Since he is contesting in AIADMK’s most popular ‘Two Leaf’ symbol, Dr. Krishnasamy believes that he would romp home this time.
The BJP, which was expected to field Intel’s former employee Ananthan Ayyasamy, a youngster from Tenkasi district as its candidate, belied the expectations by nominating ‘Tirunelveli Strongman’ and Thamizhaga Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam founder B. John Pandian. The DMK has reposed its faith in anaesthetist Rani Srikumar, a novice to electoral politics. And, the Naam Thamizhar Katchi has fielded one Isaimathivanan in the electoral battle.
Even though this district is situated along the scenic Western Ghats and, hence, enjoys immense potential for tourism, no MLA or MP in the past took any step for converting this potential into business for the locals by creating better facilities. The waterfalls at Courtallam attract several lakhs of tourists between June and September every year. However, the sanitary conditions prevailing in Courtallam and the infrastructure in this tourist spot is far from satisfactory.
While the private tourist homes fleece the visitors with exorbitant charges for staying a couple of days, the Tamil Nadu Government’s guest houses near Main Falls are in the worst shape. Even though the State Government announced in one of its Budgets that the cottages near Main Falls would be rebuilt with better amenities, the announcement made by then Finance Minister O. Panneerselvam still remains only on papers.
“The State Government or the MLAs or MPs from Tenkasi should have prepared a standard operating procedure in consultation with the district administration on the quality and price of the food being served in the hotels of Courtallam besides taking steps for making the visitors’ stay memorable. The government should have created cottages for better and pleasant stay. Unfortunately nothing has happened in this town even as private lodges and guest houses fleece the visitors,” says Agnel of East Tambaram in Chennai, who used to stay at Courtallam during every season a couple of days.
Moreover, a good number of private resorts built in the Western Ghats is still functioning even though the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court has ordered the district administration to remove all these illegal cottages where the owners have diverted the natural watercourse for creating artificial waterfalls within their properties for attracting tourists.
Another major issue the constituency is now facing is the plundering of natural resources – M sand, blue metal, granite stones etc. to be taken to neighbouring Kerala in mammoth trucks round-the-clock despite intense resistance from the locals. Besides seriously depleting the mineral wealth of Tenkasi district, this business also damages the roads very quickly and poses dangerous threat to the road-users.
After the Tenkasi-based ‘Iyarkkai Vala Paathukaappu Sangam’ started agitating against it legally, the timing and the route for taking minerals in the lorries to Kerala has been regulated. However, no step has been taken to check the over-loading of lorries with minerals even though the lorries have to cross two check-posts before crossing the border with Kerala.
“If this official looting is allowed to happen indefinitely, this district will lose its green and sheen very soon,” warns Ravi Arunan, former MLA and president of ‘Iyarkkai Vala Paathukaappu Sangam’.
Even though the political parties promise during every election that they would strive hard to repair the Shenbhagavalli check-dam and Kanya shutter channel, it is forgotten once the votes are counted. The check-dam in the Western Ghats beyond Vasudevanallur and close to the Periyar Tiger Reserve was built to divert water to Sivagiri and the dry areas in Virudhunagar district. Even though this structure got damaged in severe floods 53 years ago, the Tamil Nadu Government has not taken concrete measure to rebuild it with by speaking with the Kerala Government as it falls under the control of the neighbouring State.
“If this check-dam is rebuilt, over 40,000 acres in Tenkasi and Virudhunagar districts will get water for irrigation. Moreover, it will also solve the drinking water crisis in these two districts,” says T. Suresh of Vasudevanallur.
After the governments did not take any step, A. M. Sundaravel of Tirunelveli filed a case in the Madras High Court seeking early intervention to repair this structure, which is still pending before the court.
The delay in formally commissioning the Tirunelveli – Tenkasi four-lane highway has already become a poll issue with the political parties blaming each other for the delay even as the voters are agonisingly watching it. Since the construction of a rail over bridge across the manned level crossing at Paavoorchathram will consume a few more months, the public crossing this point will have to bear with this nagging issue.
Interestingly, all the candidates in fray, including the key contestants, are campaigning that their election alone would provide the much-awaited renaissance of the constituency.
