Civic issues: Pernambut residents likely to boycott Assembly polls

Overflowing and stagnant drains, potholed roads, drinking water scarcity and the town plunging into darkness when shops close due to LED bulbs not being fitted are some issues which have worsened over time. 

“The constituency has had no MLA for the last 4 years, after the 2016 winner C Jayanthi Padmanaban (AIADMK) was disqualified when she switched allegiance to the AMMK. The by-elections resulted in the DMK’s S Kathavarayan winning but he too died some months ago resulting in the constituency suffering” said former councilor Meeranji Saleem. 

“What adds to locals grievance is that there is no elected local body representative or official to approach for grievance redressal, as the town has no full time municipal commissioner, sanitary inspector or town planning officer” said Vellore rural district congress president G Suresh Kumar. “When we agitate, officials promise to do the needful but that promise is never kept” he added. 

Pernambut consumer welfare and protection association president T Basheeruddin said “lights do not burn as fused bulbs have not been replaced. Also most high mast lamps in the town do not burn and though the last date (31/12/20) for tenders floated to replace ordinary bulbs with LED bulbs was crossed, there has been no action till date.” 

“But what galls residents is that even minor repairs of potholed roads are not undertaken resulting in accidents and when the increasing stray dog menace results in locals being bitten they are asked by Pernambut government hospital staff to go to the Vellore government medical college hospital, 60 kilometres away” says Nattamkar Akbar, local resident. 

Though the town is linked to the Cauvery drinking water scheme, the local body suffers from water scarcity as improper planning resulted in not enough ground level reservoirs (GLR) being built to store water. “With summer nearing we fear water scarcity will affect us greatly this year” Basheeruddin adds.