Villagers block highway near Tiruvannamalai, demand buses stop at local bus stop

Residents of Usampadi village, near Tiruvannamalai town in Tamil Nadu, blocked the Chittoor-Cuddalore Highway on Wednesday to demand that government buses stop at the village's bus stop. Agitated commuters said the bus stop serves about 15 surrounding villages between the towns of Tiruvannamalai and Kilpennathur, a stretch of roughly 15 km. They said they have to walk at least 2 km to reach Karunthuvambadi, the nearest village where all buses halt, leaving students and office goers especially affected. Currently, buses running between Tiruvannamalai and Tirukkoyilur towns stop at Mallavadi and Karunthuvambadi villages, which are located on the arterial road. Key educational institutions, including teacher training institutes, are also located along this route, according to the protestors.