Latest news with #Irulars
New Indian Express
31-05-2025
- General
- New Indian Express
20 Irular families in Chengai face eviction threat due to patta issue in Chennai
CHENNAI: Twenty Irular families living for decades in a village near Tirukazhkundram in Chengalpattu district now fear displacement after local authorities began inquiries a few weeks ago. Of the 40 Irular families living in the locality, 20 of them do not have pattas (land title deed). Except one or two, most of them live in permanent dwellings which were constructed with the help of a local trust a few years ago, residents said. The local village panchayat has helped lay roads and install street lights, but the 20 houses without patta have not been given power connection. Members of the families have been working as agricultural labourers in three nearby villages for years, while youngsters study in local schools that are 3-4 km away, said a resident. On May 14, officials from the Thiruporur taluk visited the locality and informed them that no additional pattas would be sanctioned for the Irulars as the land on which they are living is 'meikal poramboke'. The authorities also told them that they would be relocated to a different location where they would get pattas and government-sponsored housing. It is not known what action has been planned on the other 20 families who have received pattas.
The Hindu
28-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Stalin to inaugurate free houses for Irular families near Arakkonam today
Chief Minister M.K. Stalin will virtually inaugurate free new houses for 41 displaced Irular families at Melpakkam village near Arakkonam in Ranipet on May 29 (Thursday), providing a permanent settlement for the tribal community. This comes after the State Highways Department acquired patta land, which were provided to the affected Irular families by the district administration, for the widening of Kancheepuram - Arakkonam - Tiruttani Road (SH 58) in 2023. As part of a compensation, the State Highways decided to provide land and build new houses for beneficiaries at a cost of ₹6.32 crore. 'It's a dream come true for us because, as a community, we have lived in roadside make-shift tents for generations. We are happy that our children will now have a safe place to stay,' said V. Mayan, an Irular. Accompanied by Collector J.U. Chandrakala, Minister for Handlooms and Textiles R. Gandhi inspected the new houses and interacted with the beneficiaries. He urged Irular families to enroll their wards in schools. The Minister also directed officials to plant more fruit bearing saplings in the housing quarters to provide shade and as a supplementary income for the Irulars. 'Considering the displaced are poor tribals, the State Highways decided to build new houses for them for the first time. The new dwelling has all basic facilities like power supply, water connection, washroom and lights,' K. Mukundan, Assistant Divisional Engineer (ADE), State Highways (Arakkonam division), told The Hindu. Facilities provided Each house, built at a cost of ₹10.70 lakh, measures 355 with a living room, bedroom, kitchen and attached toilets. A community hall with a seating capacity of at least 100 persons and an anganwadi centre are also being built. It also has a temple and a protective wall. To ensure safe drinking water to the families, an overhead tank (OHT) with a capacity of 30,000 litres also forms part of the basic amenities. The pathways in the village are also being re-laid with bitumen for easy access by ambulances during emergencies. Highways officials said that widening of the stretch is part of the Chennai - Kanyakumari Industries Corridor project by the Centre under the East Coast Economic Corridor (ECEC) that aims to connect key coastal cities like Kolkata, Visakhapatnam, Chennai and Kanyakumari. Funded by Asian Development Bank (ADB), the stretch has been widened for a distance of 41.77 km between Kancheepuram and Tirutani at a cost of ₹359.06 crore since mid-2021. The existing lane has been converted into a 10 m wide two-lane stretch with storm water drains, footpath, 18 small bridges and 124 culverts.
