By TwoCircles.net news desk,
New Delhi: The Tamil Nadu Relief Committee (TNRC), a service organization of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, handed over 38 houses to the victims of Tsunami in the village of Kottaikuppam near Puducherry on January 3.
TNRC has been doing relief and rehabilitation work in the state since Tsunami hit the Indian coastlines on December 26, 2004. Soon after the disaster TNRC sprung into action and established 100 temporary shelters in Nagapattinam, which was the worst affected town in Tamil Nadu. It also provided Relief Kits comprising of rice, foodgrains, bucket, utensils, soaps, blankets, mattresses etc to 7000 families. The group also worked on rehabilitation projects.
Villupuram Collector R.Palanisamy (extreme right) and H. Abdur Raqeeb, General Secretary, Islamic Foundation Trust (3rd from left)
At January 3 programme, Dr. R. Palaniswamy, Villupauram District Collector, handed over the keys of the newly constructed houses to the victims. A. Shabbir Ahmed, president of JIH (Tamil Nadu and Puducherry), said that TNRC was providing assistance to victims of natural disasters, including earthquakes and the tsunami, and communal riots.
Addressing the gathering H. Abdur Raqeeb, General Secretary, Islamic Foundation Trust (IFT) and member Central Advisory Committee of JIH lauded the efforts of TNRC. He hoped a model colony would emerge shedding light of hope and wisdom to the whole of the Kottaikuppam as well as the state. He urged t the beneficiaries to have a resolve to educate all their children.
As part of long-term plans of TNRC under its innovative and progressive livelihood scheme 500 families were provided with assistance both in cash and kind. TNRC gave top class fibre boats with high power engine and world class fishing nets to 16 families in Pulicat, a fishing village near Chennai. Similarly TNRC established a dairy farm with fifteen fat cows in pudupattinam as a part of its rehabilitation schemes.
The greatest achievement of TNRC stands in the form of Samarasam Nagar in Nagore where it built 100 beautiful houses. Each and every house had been constructed in 400 sq. feet area in a 1300 sq. feet plot. It comprises a drawing room, a hall, a bed room, kitchen, toilet and bathroom with stair case to the terrace. The Tamil Nadu Water and Drainage department (TWAD) has constructed an elegant overhead tank with a capacity of 30,000litres of drinking water and has provided a street pipe for every fifteen (15) houses. The Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) has provided prompt domestic connection and has also erected twenty eight street lamp posts.
Villupuram Collector R.Palanisamy handing over the keys of permanent houses built by TNRC at Chinna Kottakuppam in district