THRISSUR: Robbed of their homes and culture, the story of Malayan Tribals of the erstwhile Kallichithra colony is one of botched promises.
Displaced from their homes and forced to settle at Nadampadam following the construction of Chimmini dam and the subsequent submergence of their homes, the tribals had to stand helpless as the promises from the government remained in paper. However, an early Onam gift is on its way, in the form of houses constructed by Jyothy Laboratories Ltd as a part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)spending.
“We have completed construction of 17 houses so far, with the total fund utilised approximately coming to Rs 1.2 crore. The houses are fully functional, with proper sanitation and other facilities. Our original aim was to complete the construction of houses before monsoon,” said Jyothy Laboratories CMD M P Ramachandran, to Express.
The construction of the houses were taken care by the company itself, rather than handing it to contractors. As a part of its CSR, the company had earlier constructed toilets for every public school in the district.
“We aim to spend around Rs 2 crore every year as a part of CSR. What we are emphasizing now is on providing housing facilities for the needy,” he added. The houses will be handed over to them on August 18. According to Pushpan, a resident of the area, the government had promised 1 acre of land for each of the 17 families, along with an additional three acres of land.
“Out of the promised 20 acres, only twelve-and-a-half have materialised so far. The government jobs promised for us, along with our compensation, remain pipe dreams,” said Pushpan.
A portion of the fund was also promised for the construction of a temple dedicated to their deity, ‘Vanadevatha’. “We are now making do with a small make shift temple, constructed by donations from the public,” he said.