Irular communities living near Vellakulam village in Arcot Taluk are living in dire conditions without basic facilities, including pucca houses, roads, drinking water supply or transport facilities.
While 54 families residing in the area were evicted from various places like Vilapakkam, Kannadipalayam and Thirupamalai in the last three to four years, 16 were rescued from bonded labouring and resettled here by the government seven years ago. Despite the promises made to them about new homes and a better life, nothing has changed for them over years.
Sekar and Nellitha couple were one of the families rescued from bonded labour in Kaniyambadi. Sekar is a daily wage labourer in a wood cutting unit, and Nellitha sometime manages to find work through the MGNREGA scheme.
Explaining their state, the couple pointed at their makeshift hut and said venomous insects creep into their houses during the night.
V Maniyamma was brought here two years ago from a lake poramboke lands in Varkoor. She complained about the lack of roads and drinking water. "They have constructed an overhead water tank, but it was not brought to use," she said.
Most of them work as woodcutters and coolies in the village to make their ends meet.
It is difficult for the students living here to pursue education with poor bus connectivity, as they have to travel more than an hour to pursue higher education. A girl from the village said she missed school today as she left the bus.
Another girl told TNIE that she dropped out of government school after they asked for fees. Few youngsters discontinue education to work as daily wage labourers. The locals alleged that the primary school and Anganwadi near the village is in bad shape and needed a facelift.
We're in the process to provide holistic development to the Irular community by giving them homes and other basic infrastructure, Ranipet Collector D Baskara Pandiyan told TNIE.
"The district administration has conducted an enumeration and has identified 8,500 Irular tribes in the district and our priority is to issue all documentation, including community certificates, ration cards, Aadhar card, Chief Minister's Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme and other identity cards so that they can be benefitted from the government schemes," he added.
The collector said efforts were taken to give pattas and homes to small Irular groups scattered in the district. "However, we're planning to provide housing to large groups through various Central and State schemes.
We have sent a proposal to the state government," Baskara Pandiyan said. The district management is also in the process to provide jobs under MGNREGA.