After a long wait, the children of the tribal hamlet of Erode receive a special school bus

The long-standing demand of residents of the Vilankombai tribal settlement for a special school vehicle to ensure the safe commuting of their children has been met. The state government has allocated a van for this purpose.

The hamlet, comprising 45 families, is located deep in the TN Palayam Forest Range under the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve and falls within Kongarpalayam Panchayat in Thookkanaicken Palayam Panchayat Union in Gobichettipalayam taluk. Students from the settlement have to cross a 7 km stretch of forest, cross four streams, and travel another 3 km to reach their schools.

Due to the lack of public transport and the risks associated with traveling through the forest – where wildlife sightings are common – many students were previously forced to stay at home. In recent years, under the Samagra Shiksha scheme, a monthly transportation assistance of ₹600 per student, along with ₹700 per student from the district administration, was provided and paid to a private vehicle owner for transporting students to and from the hamlet. However, during the rainy season the company car proved unsafe, because students had to take shelter under a tarpaulin.

On January 23, 2026, S. Annadurai, director of the Tribal Welfare Department, visited the hamlet, during which residents reiterated their demand for a school van. Considering the urgency of the situation, orders have recently been issued to make the vehicle available. A van earlier assigned to the Government Tribal Residential School at Kilakadu in Kallakurichi district was handed over to the district administration for use in the hamlet.

On Friday (February 27, 2026), Collector S. Kandasamy handed over the car key at the Collectorate to the Service Unit for Development Activity in Rural (SUDAR), a non-governmental organization in charge of operating the vehicle. The NGO receives ₹1,300 per student to cover the cost of driver’s salary and fuel.

Mr Natraj told The Hindu that 19 students are studying at Panchayat Union Middle School in Vinobanagar and seven at Government Higher Secondary School in Kongarpalayam. “All 26 students will be transported to their schools in two trips every day from March 2, 2026,” he said.