CHENNAI: After the video of a woman from the Narikurava community alleging that the welfare measures distributed by Chief Minister MK Stalin in November last year were yet to reach them went viral, Chengalpattu Collector AR Rahul Nadh allotted four shops for them in Mamallapuram and said toilets would also be built soon.
In the video, Ashwini alleged that the government didn’t arrange the Rs 1 lakh loan despite a cheque being distributed by the CM and it was yet to build toilets or houses as promised. However, the Collector said the government had promised loans for 12 people but only eight people turned up for the training programme conducted before it.
“Ashwini asked for Rs 5 lakh as a loan and the bank said it wouldn’t be provided without a permanent shop. Following this, we showed her shops in various places but she wanted it near the Seashore Temple. Since the place was already full, we couldn’t provide them with shops there. Regarding the construction of toilets, we were trying to reach a consensus on the location within the community,” the Collector added.
The Collector met Ashwini and other members of the community after the video surfaced. They were allotted four shops—one near the Seashore Temple and three near Five Rathas—and the Collector promises that the toilets would be built soon.
Five people, including Ashwini, were also given Rs 1 lakh as an initial loan and they can get up to Rs 5 lakh based on their repayments. The rest will also be provided loans soon, the Collector said. In its clarification, the government said orders have to be given to Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board to construct houses and to commissioners of town panchayats to build toilets.
Rs 1 lakh
Five people, including Ashwini, were also given Rs 1 lakh as an initial loan and they can get up to Rs 5 lakh based on their repayments. The rest will also be provided loans soon, the Collector said