Residents of Sri Lankan Tamil rehabilitation camp at Kulathulvaipatti village in Ettyapuram taluk submitted a petition at the weekly grievance redress meeting held at district Collectorate on Monday, seeking better basic infrastructure and other essential facilities at the camp.

The grievance redress meeting was chaired by Thoothukudi District Collector Vishu Mahajan.

According to the petition, the residents of the camp are facing several grievances, stating the houses provided under the government scheme have multiple defects and many eligible families have not been allotted houses. It is noted that drinking water tank have developed leakages within three years of installation.

Further, although a three-phase power connection was requested for motor usage, only a single-phase connection has been provided. The petition also pointed out that, while water connection has been extended to two nearby villages, the camp has not been provided with a similar facility.

The petition highlighted the absence of electric poles and streetlights in the tail end of the camp and urged authorities to take immediate measures to address the issue.

Surendran, a resident of the camp, said that a wire fence needs to be installed around the camp, as villagers from Kulathulvaipatti were using a narrow pathway through the camp to access the agricultural lands.

“We have been living in the camp for the past 30 years. Earlier villagers used bullock carts to access the land. However, currently they are using heavy vehicles, which pose a threat to the children and houses in the camp,” he added.

He further noted the residents have also requested to establish a playground for children and community welfare centre. They also sought a simplified process for purchasing new vehicles, citing delays and difficulties in obtaining approval from tahsildar office, police department and other necessary departments.

The residents urged the District Collector to look into the issue and take necessary action to address their grievance.