Residents of Nallurpalayam in Sultanpet Panchayat Union questioned the rationale behind hurried construction of a bus shelter in their village utilising constituency development fund of Coimbatore Lok Sabha MP Ganapathy P. Rajkumar.
The new bus shelter located about 500 metres away from the existing stop will not serve the intended purpose of serving school and college students, office-goers and elders from the village travelling to hospitals.
Residents of Nallurpalayam expressed dismay over the response of the Sultanpet Panchayat Union officials whom they had approached on Sunday seeking an explanation. The officials did not respond to phone calls.
The location, the villagers alleged, had been changed by the officials following pressure from ruling party members whose residences were close to the spot where the bus shelter was coming up.
Earlier this month, a group of residents of Nallurpalayam, which is a part of Vandambasseri revenue village in Sulur taluk, submitted a petition to the District Collector appealing for construction of the bus shelter closer to the existing bus stop.
The villagers had also referred to a representation made by Minister N. Kayalvizhi Selvaraj to the district administration, calling for construction of the bus shelter at a location that would be of convenience to the residents.
The district authorities had then promised to conduct an inspection before finalising the spot.
Contending that no inspection was conducted, the residents have questioned the hurried construction of the bus shelter. They apprehended violation of construction norms, and expressed scepticism over the strength of the structure in the long-run.
A section of villagers belonging to Arunthathiyar community has been threatened into acquiescing to the whims of the ruling party members, according to Mohanraj, a resident.
When contacted, the Coimbatore MP said he will look into the matter.
Published – December 22, 2025 07:57 pm IST
