Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra kicked off her week in Wayanad, Kerala, with some hands-on community work. On Monday, she dropped by the Priyadarshini Tea Factory in Mananthavady, where she chatted with the workers and got a feel for their daily lives in the lush tea estates of Wayanad district.
Earlier that day, Priyanka Gandhi inaugurated a much-needed drinking water project in Mylukunnu and Panamaram villages. This project falls under the MPLADS scheme, which gives each MP Rs 5 crore every year to push forward local development works in their constituency. It’s all about bringing real improvements to places like Wayanad, helping families access clean water and boosting everyday life.
Priyanka Gandhi landed in Wayanad on Friday for a full 10-day stay in her parliamentary constituency. She’s diving deep into local challenges during this visit. On Sunday, she stopped by the Bishop House in Thamarassery to meet Bishop Remigiose Inchananiyil. The bishop later shared that their chat focused on key issues like better representation for their community in Parliament and the ongoing man-animal conflict plaguing the area.
“It was a personal visit that she requested,” the bishop told reporters. “We talked about personal matters, but I did raise our concerns. The big one is getting our community a stronger voice in Parliament. And then there’s the wildlife problem—elephants and tigers keep attacking us. We live just 10 km from the forest, and a tiger recently killed a man.”
He pushed for more support for poor locals and even suggested a bypass road from Adivaram to Wayanad to avoid landslides that block routes. The bishop also highlighted attacks on minorities but stayed optimistic. “A new law is coming to tackle man-animal conflict, though we don’t have the details yet,” he added. He stressed the need for self-defense rights in the bill, especially for farmers. “Farmers aren’t hunting in the forest—they’re protecting their fields when animals invade. We had that freedom before the 1972 Wildlife Act. The government should let us defend ourselves and our crops.”
Wrapping up her Friday activities, Priyanka Gandhi visited the Hume Centre for Ecology and Wildlife Biology in Kalpetta. Speaking to the media, she said, “I’m here for 10 days to really understand the issues in Wayanad. My goal is to figure out how I can support and help fix them—that’s the mission.”
She also checked out the stalled Poozhithode-Padinjarathara road project, talking directly with locals about the delays. “I wanted to see the problems and objections myself,” she explained. “I’ve got the picture now, and a survey has been done too.” On the environmental clearance question, she noted, “That’s for the experts to decide. There’s an urgent need—people are suffering. But we also have to balance it with ecological concerns. Finding that balance is key.”
Priyanka Gandhi’s Wayanad visit highlights her commitment to tackling local issues like wildlife conflicts, infrastructure, and community support in this biodiversity hotspot. Stay tuned as she continues engaging with the people of Kerala over the next few days.
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