An assessment of infrastructure requirements in 2,286 rural habitations across Villupuram district will be conducted from October 7 to 17 under the Tamil Nadu Village Empowerment, Transformation and Rejuvenation Initiative (TN-VETRI).

According to Collector Sheik Abdul Rahman, the exercise will cover 688 village panchayats in 13 panchayat unions. The Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department will conduct the exercise through Participatory Rural Appraisal, using social maps and charts to document community and individual needs. Residents will accompany assessment teams through their habitations to identify infrastructure gaps.

Block Development Officers have drawn up schedules for the assessment, which will be held at common locations in each habitation. Trained members of village poverty reduction committees, panchayat-level federations and women’s self-help groups, along with anganwadi workers, noon-meal organisers and panchayat secretaries, will assist the teams, he said.

The assessment will identify requirements for new roads and repairs, drinking water facilities, household water connections, streetlights, anganwadi centres, school buildings, kitchens, compound walls and fair-price shops. It will also cover drainage and solid waste management infrastructure.

Restoration of waterbodies, feeder channels, surplus weirs and sluices, workspace requirements for entrepreneurs, and details of people who possess house-site pattas but do not have houses will also be recorded, the Collector said.

Under aspirational development goals, the teams will assess the need for parks, playgrounds, libraries, village and weekly markets, fish-drying yards, bus stations, gas-fired cremation facilities, electric vehicle charging stations, parking areas, commercial complexes and food courts.

The Collector has urged residents to participate in the exercise and highlight the facilities needed in their localities.