For 443 Irula tribal families in Kancheepuram district who were given house site pattas recently, it is a dream-come-true. The ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of 172 houses at a cost of ₹8.22 crore held at Malayankulam recently brought further joy to the families that live in abject poverty.
Indira and Ambika, who work in a rice mill near Thirukaveripakkam, thought that they would spend the rest of their lives in the makeshift shed inside the mill. “We work and stay inside the mill, thanks to the largess of the owner. A house of our own would actually be a dream,” said Ms. Indira.
“Since Irula families live in small groups in makeshift houses and mostly inside or along waterbodies, the idea is to create bigger clusters so that they have the requisite numbers for a show of strength. The ultimate aim is to make them politically significant. These 443 families are being accommodated in five locations and we are ensuring that schools, anganwadis and other facilities are located near their habitations,” said District Collector M. Aarthi.
