Foundation stones laid for Dalit families’ homes at Pariyathukavu
Higher Education Minister Roji M. John on Thursday laid the foundation stones for houses of seven families belonging to a Dalit settlement at Pariyathukavu near
Higher Education Minister Roji M. John on Thursday laid the foundation stones for houses of seven families belonging to a Dalit settlement at Pariyathukavu near Malayidamthuruth, close to Kizhakkambalam in Ernakulam. The houses are being funded by the State government as part of their rehabilitation on the same land. “Supporting marginalised sections of society is the policy of the State government, and the function exemplified this commitment,” Mr. John said after laying the stones.
The Minister attributed the successful outcome to a collective effort involving Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan, ministers, the district administration, and a team of legal experts led by the Advocate General. The government will continue to support the families beyond the construction of houses, he said. Presiding over the function, Kunnathunadu MLA V.P. Sajeendran handed over the cheque for the advance amount to the building contractor. Benny Behanan, MP, attended.
Each family will be provided with a 1,000-sq.ft. house, to be completed under government supervision within a year through sponsorship. The houses will have three bedrooms with attached bathrooms, a dining hall, a living room, a sit-out, and a kitchen. All seven families have been allotted five cents with road access. The dispute was amicably resolved last month after the family of the late Kannatt Sankaran Nair, who had won ownership rights over the land through a prolonged legal battle, agreed to allot five cents each to the seven families residing in the settlement within the 2.69 acres of disputed property.
It was also agreed that the government would withdraw the cases registered against those who had protested during the 15 attempts to evict the families following a Supreme Court order.
The BriefWire