Commuters from interior farming villages in Ranipet district can now travel on 18 new routes as bus services, connecting Chennai and Bengaluru with Arcot, Walajah and Ranipet were introduced on Tuesday.
Accompanied by Ranipet Collector D. Bhaskara Pandian, Minister for Handlooms and Textiles, Khadi and Village Industries Board R. Gandhi flagged off the bus services on new routes, bringing relief to commuters from remote villages in the district. The bus services on nine routes will ply within the district and neighbouring Vellore, covering key towns like Arcot, Walajah, Sholinghur and Arakkonam.
“We have also extended certain bus services after requests from students and parents. The new services will also help farmers travel to big towns from their villages to sell their produce,” said S. Nataraj, General Manager, Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (Vellore Region).
Among the three taluks, including Sholingur and Walajah, Arcot got five new bus routes, mostly connecting villages with the Arcot town. Buses here will be operated on all days. New routes to neighbouring cities like Chennai and Bengaluru were also introduced.
Foundation laid
Later in the day, foundation stones were laid for the government health centre coming up at the Government Women’s Arts College in Walajah town at a cost of ₹55 lakh and a sub-health centre in Valluvar Pakkam village near Walajah, which will be built at ₹30 lakh. These facilities will be built in four months. Likewise, a ₹17 lakh-worth Over Head Tank (OHT), with a capacity of 60,000 litres, in Edapalayam hamlet in Pakkam village and a fair price shop in Ganapathipuram village in Nemili were opened on Tuesday, bringing an end to long-standing demands of residents in these neighbourhoods, officials said.
Ranipet Superintendent of Police (SP) Deepa Sathyan, Arcot MLA J.L. Eeswarappan, S. Nataraj, general manager, TNSTC (Vellore region), K. Ponnupandi, deputy GM, TNSTC (Vellore region), elected representatives and residents took part.
