Ponmudy receives over 1,000 grievance petitions

Special Correspondent
VILLUPURAM: Higher Education Minister K. Ponmudy received as many as 1,005 grievance petitions from people at the municipal office here on Sunday.
The petitions were related mostly to house site pattas, ration cards, old age pension, aid for the differently-abled and lack of civic needs.
Local Administration Minister M.K. Stalin would visit Villupuram on August 22 and all eligible petitioners would be given benefits then, Mr. Ponmudy said.
Some traders’ associations told the Minister that their turnover had come down drastically after the shifting of the bus stand to a new premises. Mr. Ponmudy said the residents were happy because the move had greatly reduced traffic congestion.
The starting of a new government engineering college on the old taluk office premises would give a thrust to business in the old bus stand area. The vicinity of the new bus stand to the integrated Collectorate complex had greatly brought down the difficulty of the people in reaching the district headquarters.
When a taxi stand was sought near the old bus stand, Mr. Ponmudy said a site had already been assigned for the purpose near the new bus stand. The government had allocated funds for the underground drainage project for Villupuram and works would begin soon. The roads that were in bad condition would be repaired after the completion of the project.
Though the town did not face water shortage, Rs. 10 crore had been allocated for the construction of overhead tanks to meet the demand two decades from now, Mr. Ponmudy said.
Collector R. Palanisamy, District Revenue Officer C. Kadhiravan, MLA S. Pushparaj and municipal chairman R. Janagaraj were present at the meeting.
Mr. Ponmudy has so far visited taluks such as Kallakurichi, Sanakarapuram, Ginjee, Tindivanam and Villupuram to hear the grievances of the people.