Kalpetta: Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi has demanded special financial assistance from National Bank for Rural Development (NABARD) to construct a suspension bridge across the River Panapuzha to connect the Cholanaikka tribe settlement in Nilambur with the town, in Malappuram district of Wayanad Lok Sabha Constituency,  a press statement said.

The tribe is found in the Karulayi and Chungathara Forest Ranges of the Nilambur Forest Division. They live in rocky caves and forest clearings away from the typical human habitats. 

In a letter to the National Bank for Rural Development (NABARD), Priyanka Gandhi demanded to avail funds from the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) as the construction of the bridge is an essential need for the survival of the ethnic tribe. 

During her recent visit to the Wayanad Lok Sabha Constituency, Priyanka Gandhi took time to visit the tribal settlement located deep inside the forest near Nilambur in Malappuram district. Isolated from the rest of the world, the tribe lives in the jungle. During her visit, members of the tribe requested the construction of a suspension bridge, which would help them access the town during the monsoon season. 

The community makes a living by sourcing and selling forest products like honey and hunting. But as a vanishing tribe living in the jungle, they need special care.

Although the state government had earlier submitted a proposal for the hanging bridge, the NABARD has yet to sanction the project.