Munuswamy, known locally as 'MGR Munuswamy', uses his oxen-attached plough to till his farm growing leafy vegetables, while a neighbour feeds groundnut oil cake to buffaloes in his cattle barn.
This is not a scene depicting any remote village, but is found in the heart of the temple city of Tirupati, that too, just 0.5 km from the APSRTC central bus station. Welcome to Chintalachenu, the mini village in the midst of a burgeoning city.
Munuswamy, a decades-old migrant from Tiruthani taluk of Tamil Nadu, does not mind the flurry of activities at the couple of residential complexes and a marriage hall in the vicinity and continues ploughing his leased land to grow vegetables. His little hut is one of the 400 houses in the locality. Situated downward of the railway over bridge, this area boasts of proximity to the city centre, but ironically has remained a picture of neglect.
Though the area is governed by the Municipal Corporation of Tirupati, the presence of an urban local body is hardly felt and under development is the least impacting word to describe this locality. In spite of the high realty value, housing activity has not picked up, primarily due to the indifference of land owners.
Road work ignored
The Tirupati Urban Development Authority (TUDA) marked a 60 ft. road from the flyover to the village. The original proposal was to form a road parallel to the Renigunta Road and Karakambadi Road and connect both of them near the Railway Carriage Repair Shop.
The proposal remained a non-starter as the residents preferred the existing narrow road to a wider one. The existing path was developed into a cement road in 2009-10, which was the last major 'developmental activity' worth a mention.
Rising crime rate
The entire locality is embroiled in a myriad of controversies. The presence of 'Srinivasam' pilgrims complex, private bus station (for services to Tamil Nadu), liquor outlets, private parking lot and late-night eateries has upped the crime rate.
Thanks to the shift in the excise policy vis-a-vis the highways, the area is expected to get more wine shops, as it is 'too near, yet too far'.
