A group of Scheduled Caste families of Thiruchennampoondi in Budalur taluk in Thanjavur district, who were faced with displacement due to a highway widening project, have been provided alternative sites with all necessary amenities under a special initiative of the district administration.
Twenty-four families in the village were facing displacement, which also threatened their livelihood. While deciding to provide them alternative house sites, District Collector Dinesh Ponraj Oliver also made sure that they were not forced to shift too far away. Since there was no suitable government land in the same village, he held negotiations with an individual land holder and persuaded him to part with his land. The piece of land was acquired with government approval at a cost of ₹4 lakh.
Following this, the site was divided into 24 housing plots and each was provided with all necessary amenities including drinking water supply, drainages and paver block roads. “The housing colony is named, Senthamizh Nagar, and we have made sure that the beneficiaries need not run from pillar to post to get various services and amenities for the new sites. Everything has been provided to them,” Mr. Oliver told The Hindu.
The documents for the house sites were formally handed over to the beneficiaries by Minister for School Education Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi on Friday.
“This is the fourth Senthamizh Nagar we have created for the downtrodden in the district. I wish to establish at least one each in all the 14 blocks in the district,” Mr.Oliver said.
