Tiruvannamalai: Construction work on the first smart colony for Irulas has commenced. The colony spans over 6 acres at Misanallur village in Vandavasi taluk in Cheyyar sub-division in Tiruvannamalai district.
The 2.07 crore project will be named Abdul Kalampuram, after former President A P J Abdul Kalam's concept of PURA (providing urban amenities in rural areas). The project is aimed at providing green housing facilities to Irula families, besides sustainable livelihoods.
Houses are being built under the first phase of the project.
"At present, 23 out of 43 houses planned are under construction. Their foundations have been laid. We aim to complete the project by the end of January next year," said Cheyyar sub-collector T Prabhu Shankar.
After completing the construction of houses, a community hall, Anganwadi, overhead tank and compound wall will be built. A biogas plant and a 50KW solar power generation plant would also be built in the second phase. Forty-three families living along water bodies in Thellar, Nadukuppam, Misanallur, Theyyar, Embalam and Eripattu villages would be relocated to the smart colony. They would also be given milch cows for livelihood.
The district administration had received 1.59 crore from the Union ministry of tribal affairs under the development of particularly vulnerable tribal groups scheme to execute the project.
District rural development agencies department would sanction the remaining amount under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme to take up development works and construct an Anganwadi and community hall.
"We will also engage the beneficiaries of the project under MGNREGS for laying the road to provide them employment," he said.
The 2.07 crore project will be named Abdul Kalampuram, after former President A P J Abdul Kalam's concept of PURA (providing urban amenities in rural areas). The project is aimed at providing green housing facilities to Irula families, besides sustainable livelihoods.
Houses are being built under the first phase of the project.
"At present, 23 out of 43 houses planned are under construction. Their foundations have been laid. We aim to complete the project by the end of January next year," said Cheyyar sub-collector T Prabhu Shankar.
After completing the construction of houses, a community hall, Anganwadi, overhead tank and compound wall will be built. A biogas plant and a 50KW solar power generation plant would also be built in the second phase. Forty-three families living along water bodies in Thellar, Nadukuppam, Misanallur, Theyyar, Embalam and Eripattu villages would be relocated to the smart colony. They would also be given milch cows for livelihood.
The district administration had received 1.59 crore from the Union ministry of tribal affairs under the development of particularly vulnerable tribal groups scheme to execute the project.
District rural development agencies department would sanction the remaining amount under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme to take up development works and construct an Anganwadi and community hall.
"We will also engage the beneficiaries of the project under MGNREGS for laying the road to provide them employment," he said.