TIRUPATTUR: "It gives me immense joy that my daughter, who will be joining Class 6 in the upcoming academic year, has received her ST community certificate. This will help her pursue higher education and secure dormitory facilities," said S Ambika (35), a resident of the Irular colony in Bapanapalli near Vaniyambadi. On Thursday, Collector K Tharpagaraj issued Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificates to six school students from the community, marking a milestone in the nearly 50-year struggle of the residents.
For decades, the lack of the document significantly affected the 25 families, comprising 64 residents, from the colony. They were denied housing and other basic amenities by the civic bodies and it further affected their children's education. On December 18, 2023, TNIE highlighted this issue, detailing the community's long-standing difficulties on the same.
Meanwhile, an official release stated, the collector issued free pattas to nine families in Chinnapallikuppam near Ambur. Tharpagaraj told TNIE that these families would receive free houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana or PM's Janman Scheme. He outlined the plans to organise a camp with the revenue divisional officer and tahsildar to ensure that all the Irular residents received their community certificates and government welfare benefits.
Ambika said, "Now that nine families have received their pattas and another eight more were asked to submit documents for further processing, we hope the officials will provide community certificates and housing pattas to all the families in the colony."
PwD gets wheelchair, monthly pension
R Saravanan (25), a colony resident who was paralysed last year during an accident while working in a field, was provided with a wheelchair and a monthly pension under disability schemes on Friday. His mother R Eswari, who brought the issue to the collector's notice, said that the district administration assured her son of loan assistance to start a small business.