People's power won in Perambakkam

Pramila Krishnan
Perambakkam, September 8: A special gram sabha held in Perambakkam in Kancheepuram district on Saturday was an example of people’s power. Residents of the little town boycotted the August 15 Independence Day gram sabha since officials aborted the greenhouse project in their neighbourhood due to pressure from local politicians. The district administration organised a special gram sabha and approved the housing project much to the glee of the residents.

Officials attended special gram sabha
on Saturday in Peranambakkam

Speaking to me, Perambakkam panchayat president Lavanya Mahendran (26) said the officials did not bother to listen to the people who were waiting for the funds to construct their houses. “Only when we boycotted the gram sabha did they understand and budged. They attended the gram sabha and promised to fulfil our demands,” she said. She added that the entire village was supportive in helping the poor beneficiaries who were earlier informed by the officials that they would not get funds.

Talking about other resolutions passed in the special gram sabha, vice president of the Perambakkam panchayat S. Kumar (29) said, “A private firm has encroached some four acres of promoboke land in our village and refused to vacate even after we issued a notice. Now we have asked the district administration to take over the lands from the private hands and surrender them to us.” He said the panchayat members have also placed a proposal to build concrete roads in the village. 

A resident of Perambakkam panchayat K. Mahalingam said young leaders of the panchayat took the initiative to refurbish the panchayat office, which had been abandoned for the last two decades. “They also run three free tuition centres for poor students. Though Perambakkam is a reserved panchayat for Dalits, these young Dalit  leaders have won the hearts of people from different communities,” he noted.