For residents of Kodanadu, white mansion is incomplete without Jaya

UDHAGAMANDALAM: The residents of Nilgiris, especially the people of Kodanadu panchayat in Kotagiri taluk, will now miss their Amma, who used to visit her white mansion located amidst the lush green tea estate spread over 800 acres once in a while to unwind after months of hectic work.
“She always sprang a surprise as her visit to the hill retreat was often kept a secret. Nevertheless, we used to wait for her earnestly.Now, the very thought that she is no more make us very sad,” said M Nirmala, a tea estate labourer.
Kodanadu panchayat always enjoyed special allotments from both the MLA and MP funds for improving infrastructure as Jayalalithaa was one of its residents. A few years ago, she inaugurated an ATM at Kodanadu for estate workers. “Have you heard of any chief minister inaugurating an ATM,” asks another tea estate worker L Padma, with tears rolling down her face.
DMK leader T Gundan, meanwhile, said the Nilgiris district has lost a well-wisher and a dynamic leader. “As a chief minister, Jayalalithaa always had a soft corner for the hill district and its people. She also introduced many welfare schemes exclusively for the people of Nilgiris,” he said.
It was Amma, who successfully introduced garden fresh scheme in the district, wherein the government procured harvested crop directly from the farmers. This was in addition to the subsidy for the green leaf tea.
“A few years ago, Amma inaugurated the golden jubilee celebrations of an industrial cooperative tea factory at Yedakadu village near Ooty. The small tea farmers were really happy to see her. She genuinely loved the people of the Nilgiris,” said P Subban, a small tea farmer.
The white mansion, caretakers said, was always kept spic and span as they didn’t know when Amma would plan a visit. “We used to get instructions from Poes Garden regarding the maintenance of the bungalow. It was always kept ready for her. The very thought that Amma won’t come again makes us really upset,” said a caretaker, recalling that the former chief minister used to take a stroll around the mansion at dawn.
The bungalow in Kodanadu was built some two decades ago it had been her second abode since then. “We take pride in regarding ourselves as Amma’s neighbours. She used to greet us cheerfully whenever she was here,” recalled Pushpa, another resident of Kodanadu.