The Hindu : Front Page : Plan to make Thummanatty a model village

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Tuesday, Sep 04, 2007
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Plan to make Thummanatty a model village

D. Radhakrishnan

— Photo: D. Radhakrishnan

Trendsetter: The office of the Thummanatty Panchayat near Ooty.

Udhagamandalam: Residents of Thummanatty, just beyond Dodabetta, about 15 kilometres from here, have drawn up a plan of action to make their village a model. Many residents told The Hindu that they were confident that their desire would be fulfilled.

The village is like any other medium sized habitation in the rural parts of the Blue Mountains. Its lifestyle is more or less similar to that of hundreds of villages which dot the hills and like all of them it also has its attributes and share of problems. However, a few distinct features set this village, comprising about 250 houses, apart from the rest.

The population of Thummanatty village, which is the headquarters of the Thummanatty panchayat which includes 11 villages and 14 hamlets, is a mixture of small tea growers, vegetable farmers and government employees.

Stating that all were one in the ongoing efforts to make the village a trend setter, the President of the Thummanatty panchayat B. Vishwanathan said very soon a sub-station to tackle power-related problems would come up near the village at Rs. 2.25 crore. In order to augment the income of the local body it was proposed to construct a Rs 6-lakh shopping complex near the village square.

Pointing out that on account of the prolonged crisis in the tea industry, which had subjected the small growers to considerable hardship, the villagers were laying a great deal of emphasis on education, the President of the Parents Teachers Association K.J. Nanjan said the local Government Higher Secondary School was now their pride.

Having been a source of concern for long owing to its poor performance, the school was now one of the best of its kind.

The difference had been made by Geetha Balachandran who had taken over as headmistress of the school a few years ago. Among the 700 students there were some from places as far away as Coimbatore.

Stating that the deplorable condition of the road leading to Thummanatty and beyond was a major shortcoming, Mr. Vishwanathan lamented that despite numerous representations it was yet to be set right. If it was improved the job of converting Thummanatty into a model village would be made easier.

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