VILLUPURAM: Over 30 families from the Irular community of Anangur village on Thursday morning threatened to surrender their government documents if their demand for patta (land registration document) for the plots allocated to Irulars is not met. They were protesting in front of the revenue tahsildar's office and expressed their discontentment with the state government for providing patta to only six families, said sources.
M Viruthambal (50), a resident of Anangur told TNIE, "Around one-and-a-half years ago, the state government had initiated a housing project aimed at offering free accommodation to the Irular families of our village. But only six out of the 30 families received plots with the patta."
The people had petitioned officials to issue patta for the allotted lands, but to no avail, alleged sources.
S Bharathi (35), another resident said, "The persistent struggles faced by our community in securing our rights is frustrating. The government's housing initiative, although promising, has yet to fulfil its purpose for the majority of affected families. The protest was aimed at the officials, as a poignant reminder of the ongoing challenges faced by our community and our determination to seek justice and equality."
Following inaction from the authorities, the aggrieved families gathered in front of the Villupuram district collector's office with government documents such as Aadhaar cards and MGNREGA ID cards. The revenue tahsildar addressed the situation and assured the Irulars that their concerns would be rectified through negotiations, following which the protesters dispersed.