Dindigul district is also known as the ‘Holland of Tamil Nadu’ thanks to flower production and its export. At the centre of this is Nilakottai.

Though the place boasts of a bustling flower market, the Nilakottai Assembly constituency in Dindigul district is in need of a government-run perfume factory.

Nilakottai Assembly constituency is a reserved constituency. In this Assembly election there is a straight contest between the AIADMK and the DMK. Incumbent MLA S. Thenmozhi of the AIADMK will lock horns with S. Nagajothi of the DMK for the battle.

Apart from the two major Dravidian parties the others in the fray include D. Kailai Rajan of the Naam Tamilar Katchi and R. Ayyanar of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam.

Agriculture is one of the primary occupations of the people of Nilakottai. Jasmine production is done on a large scale and is exported. Not just different varieties of jasmine, other flowers like tuberose, button rose and marigold from the region were also famous. Fruits like grapes and sapota (chikoo) are also grown in Nilakottai.

The flower market in Nilakottai, abutting the bus stand, attracts at least 10,000 people on a daily basis. Such is the importance of this market. However, the flower market lacks basic infrastructure facilities.

V. Sivakumar and R. Palanisamy, both flower merchants, said the main demand of farmers of the region was the establishment of a government perfume factory. They said this would benefit the farmers.

With tonnes of jasmine produced in the region, setting up of a government perfume factory will fetch a good price for the farmers and it was a win-win situation for all, they said. Apart from this, there was a need for an adequate number of cold storage facilities in the region, they said. The flowers can be preserved and the freshness maintained, they said.

The flowers can be kept in the open for as many as two to three days. After this period it starts to fade and cannot be used. It becomes waste. However, the flowers when stored in cold storage facilities could last up to 10 days and the rates can be maintained, they said.

While a perfume factory and cold storage facilities in the region remain the core demand, the farmers also complained about the lack of basic infrastructure facilities at the flower market. There were no toilet facilities in the market, they said.

People had to attend nature’s call in the open space in the area behind the flower market. This left an unbearable stench. Also, there were no adequate drinking water facilities at the market. The basic facilities, a mandatory requirement, were not kept in mind at the time of the construction of the flower market, the farmers complained.

The bus stand next to the flower market also lacks basic infrastructure facilities and needs to be maintained in a proper manner. Both these places do not have adequate parking facilities and vehicles are parked in a haphazard manner, the people said.

Farmer leader S. Fathima Rajarathinam said taking into account the region was primarily agriculture based, regular supply of water from Vaigai river should be ensured to the region for both agricultural and drinking water purposes. This would benefit the farmers and also improve their livelihood.

K. Jagadesh Kumar, a teacher from Nilakottai, said the region needs a bigger library as the space and the facilities in the present library were not sufficient. A bigger library with better facilities will help the aspirants prepare better for the competitive examinations, he said.

The Nilakottai government hospital should be upgraded. He said for major cases like snake bite, the cases were being referred to the government hospitals in either Dindigul or Madurai. Precious time will be lost if people have to travel that far for treatment. Therefore, necessary steps should be taken to upgrade the government hospital, he said.

The facilities at the court in Nilakottai should also be improved. Necessary steps had been initiated in this regard, he said.

Some of the other complaints of the people of the region were regarding the traffic congestion, particularly in key junctions. This should be regulated, they said. Encroachments should be removed from the road margins and there should be a proper garbage disposal mechanism, the people said.