No welfare schemes provided to villagers of Kalvarayan hills, opines Madras HC
The bench shocked over the history of the area that it had annexed with Indian territory in 1976 untill then three jagirdars family rule over the people and treated them as slave.
Madras High Court
CHENNAI: The Madras High Court came down heavily against the State as no welfare schemes are provided to the tribals inhabiting the villages around the Kalvarayan Hills, but the people of that area are being used for garnering votes and capturing power.
"We are concerned about the socio-economic development of the tribals and downtrodden people living in the 150 villages around the Kalvarayan Hills," observed the bench of Justice SM Subramaniam and Justice C Kumarappan while hearing the suo motu case taken up regarding the economic backwardness and unemployment persisting in that region, followed by the hooch tragedy at Kallakurichi.
The bench directed the State to file a comprehensive report regarding the present socio-economic status of the villagers living around the Kalvarayan Hills within two weeks.
The bench also directed to submit whether the welfare schemes of the State reached the villagers of Kalvarayan Hills.
The bench appointed senior counsel KR Tamilmani as amicus curie and directed him to file a report.
The bench also granted liberty to media and other interested persons to visit the region and file an independent report.
The bench was shocked over the history of the area which said the place became Indian territory in 1976 until then three Jagirdars families ruled over the people and treated them as slaves.
The bench also expressed its disappointment as the government only provided voters rights to the villagers of Kalvarayan Hills in 1996, 20 years after the area became part of the Indian territory.
Senior counsel KR Tamilmani submitted that no basic infrastructure such as roads, bus facilities, schools, and hospitals are provided by the State to the villagers.
The women are forced to travel 40 kilometres in two-wheelers to reach the hospitals during pregnancy.
After the submission, the bench asked the Advocate General (AG) PS Raman to imagine if we are living in that region what would be our mindset.
Considering this aspect, the bench directed to take necessary actions and posted the matter on July 24 for compliance with the Court's directions.