After long wait, children of Erode tribal hamlet get a dedicated school van

The long-pending request of residents of Vilankombai tribal colony for a dedicated schoolhouse conveyance to guarantee the harmless commute of their children has been fulfilled, with the State authorities allotting a van for the purpose.

The hamlet, comprising 45 families, is located heavy wrong the T.N. Palayam Forest Range nether the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve and falls wrong Kongarpalayam Panchayat successful Thookkanaicken Palayam Panchayat Union successful Gobichettipalayam taluk. Students from the colony person to traverse a 7-km wood stretch, crossing 4 streams, and question an further 3 km to scope their schools.

In the lack of nationalist transport and owing to the risks progressive successful travelling done the wood — wherever chaotic animals are often sighted — galore students were earlier forced to stay astatine home. In caller years, nether the Samagra Shiksha scheme, a monthly transport assistance of ₹600 per student, on with ₹700 per pupil from the territory administration, was provided and paid to a backstage conveyance proprietor for ferrying students to and from the hamlet. However, the commercialized conveyance was recovered to beryllium unsafe during the rainy season, arsenic students had to instrumentality structure nether a tarpaulin.

On January 23, 2026, S. Annadurai, Director of the Tribal Welfare Department, visited the hamlet, during which residents reiterated their request for a schoolhouse van. Considering the urgency of the situation, orders were precocious issued to supply the vehicle. A van earlier allotted to the Government Tribal Residential School astatine Kilakadu successful Kallakurichi territory was handed implicit to the territory medication for usage successful the hamlet.

On Friday (February 27, 2026), Collector S. Kandasamy handed implicit the conveyance cardinal astatine the Collectorate to the Service Unit for Development Activities successful Rural (SUDAR), a non-governmental organisation entrusted with operating the vehicle. The NGO volition person ₹1,300 per pupil to conscionable expenses towards the driver’s wage and fuel.

Mr. Natraj told The Hindu that 19 students are studying astatine the Panchayat Union Middle School successful Vinobanagar and 7 astatine the Government Higher Secondary School successful Kongarpalayam. “All the 26 students volition beryllium transported to their schools successful 2 trips each time from March 2, 2026,” helium said.