It is a matter of shock and
surprise that M.G.R. Nagar located near the Alpet check-post in the heart of
Cuddalore town has got electricity after 33 years. All these years over 100
tenements in the area went without power at great hardships. The forbearance of
the residents is quite laudable because despite facing several miseries such as
frequent snake bites and threat from poisonous creatures that used to slither
from the sprawling farms of the sugar cane research station of Tamil Nadu
Agricultural University
As their wards used to study
with the help of kerosene lamps at least on two occasions the huts had caught
on fire killing two students. Other than the dim glow from the street lights
the households constituted by daily wage workers could not boast of any other
illumination.
The unusual fallout of such a
sorry state of affairs is that the residents have faced the stigma of living in
the dark patch of the town. It has acted as a deterrent for other families to
enter into marriage alliance with the M.G.R. Nagar residents.
Thanks to the initiative
taken by the present TN Environment Minister M.C. Sampath the area has now got
electricity. It may be noted that all these residents were earlier displaced
from the Uppalavadi area when the road widening work was taken up. Even though
the then government had assigned them the alternative site (now christened as M.G.R.
Nagar), the heirs of the land (earlier owned by a private party) moved the
court to evict them.
Subsequently, the court
stayed the erstwhile Tamil Nadu Electricity Board from giving any electricity
connection to the area. On the intervention of Mr. Sampath a compromise was
reached with the legal heirs who reportedly vacated the stay. K. Veerappan, a
resident, told that almost two generations had lived in the area without
electricity. Getting the power was as good as getting back the lost vision.
He further said that cyclone Thane too had wrought havoc in the area by
destroying some of the dwelling units. They could virtually see the light of
the day (or is it night) only now.
Another resident Mahesh said
that now the people were taking out and dusting the long-forgotten electrical
gadgets and started using them. Though almost all the households had got the
free television sets issued by the erstwhile Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
government these were never taken out of the cartons. Now, all the TV sets had
been unpacked and the residents had started viewing the programmes.
M. Maruthavanan of the
Federation of the Cuddalore Residents’ Welfare Associations said that several
representations had been made to the authorities at all levels and various
kinds of protests and demonstrations were held seeking immediately electricity
supply to the area. He said that electricity supply now had brought cheer to
the residents who could now lead a normal life. He said that besides improving
the living condition of the residents it would also help the students in the
area to perform well in their studies.
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