Minister Reviews Tribal Hamlet Needs in Vellore

Minister of Handlooms, Textiles and Khadi M. Vijay Balaji inspected tribal communities situated on Alleri hillock in Vellore district on Friday. The visit was prompted by requests from residents for essential services.

What Happened

Minister Balaji, accompanied by Collector P.S. Leela Alex and District Health Officer M. Vijay Chandran, engaged with tribal residents and examined existing government facilities. These included a school and a fair price shop operating from a rented building. A tribal resident, K. Veeran, stated that the community has communicated its needs for a road, a health centre, reliable power, and water supply.

Key Facts

• Minister M. Vijay Balaji inspected tribal hamlets on Alleri hillock in Vellore on Friday.
• The hamlets are located in the Jawadhu Hills region.
• Residents demanded basic amenities such as roads, health services, borewells, and regular power.
• Presently, Alleri hillock hosts three main tribal villages: Peenjamanthai, Jarthankollai, and Palampattu.
• Alleri tribal hamlet was part of Peenjamanthai village panchayat before becoming a separate panchayat in 2025.
• The hamlet comprises approximately 300 families.
• A proposed 8 km bitumen road will connect Varadalampattu with Nelli Marakollai village.
• Five kilometers of this road will be constructed within the Alleri Reserve Forest.
• The new road aims to serve eight remote hamlets within Alleri village panchayat, with a total population of about 2,000 tribals across 12 hamlets.
• The road will be five meters wide and include 15 culverts.
• The road construction is estimated to cost ₹17 crore and is expected to take six months to complete once initiated.
• A new special tribal health centre will be established.
• The proposed health centre will be staffed by two duty doctors and nurses, and will include treatment wards (specifically for snake bites), laboratory facilities, and a pharmacy.
• Currently, only Peechamandai and Aravatla, near the Tamil Nadu-Andhra Pradesh border, have government health centres serving tribal hamlets in the district.
• These two existing health centres are accessible via bitumen roads.

What Happens Next

Plans are underway to establish a special tribal health centre equipped with medical staff and facilities for treatment, including specialized care for snake bites. Additionally, the construction of a new bitumen road, costing ₹17 crore and spanning 8 kilometers, is planned to improve connectivity for eight remote hamlets within the Alleri village panchayat. The road is expected to be completed within six months of commencement.