By G Saravanan
Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai, on December 17, 2010:
CHENNAI: Despite several representations to the Kanchipuram district administration, a permanent shelter still eludes the 65-year-old Rajam alias Rajathi of Karikattu Kuppam near Muttukadu, who lost her house and husband to tsunami that devastated her village in 2004.
The mother of five girls, who lost her fisherman husband, Raji, three other relatives -- Abhisekh, Viveganandan and Abinesh--in the 2004 killer waves, is living in a rented house for the past four years after the district administration ‘deleted’ her name from the list of beneficiaries for permanent shelter at the same village.
The mess-up came to light when the South Indian Fishermen Welfare Association (SIFWA) obtained the list of beneficiaries for permanent shelter under RTI.
Though Rajathi received all other benefits meant for tsunami-affected families, starting from the immediate financial help of Rs two lakhs to temporary shelter (tent) constructed by district administration at Karikattu Kuppam, the document received does not figure Rajathi’s name as one of the tsunami-affected.
Speaking to Express, Rajathi said, “In early 2005, all those affected from the fishing hamlet were allotted temporary tents till the government completed permanent shelters. Since the construction plan was getting delayed, an NGO, with the concurrence of the government, constructed huts for all the affected.”
But, my name has been conspicuously missing from the list of beneficiaries for permanent shelter and I was forced to live in a rented accommodation since 2006, Rajathi said.
Since then, Rajathi has been visiting the Kanchipuram Collectorate seeking the district Collector’s intervention for getting her a permanent shelter.
Despite her age, Rajathi still lives at the same village and fights for justice denied to her some four years ago.
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