The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Vivek Oberoi to adopt Thevanampattinam

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jan 02, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Vivek Oberoi to adopt Thevanampattinam

By Our Special Correspondent

Hindi film actor Vivek Oberoi (sitting second from right) at a prayer held at Thevanampattiam village in Cuddalore on Saturday.

CUDDALORE, JAN. 1 . Hindi actor Vivek Oberoi and his "spiritual guru" Swami Chidanand Saraswathi of the Parmarth Niketan Ashram, Rishikesh, today conducted a mass prayer at Thevanampattinam, a fishermen hamlet here, which was battered by the seismic waves on December 26.

The State Ministers, C. Ponnaiyan, C.Ve. Shanmugham and Ramachandran, the Collector, Gagandeep Singh Bedi, the Municipal Commissioner, C. Chellappan, and community leaders took part.

Mr. Ponnaiyan told The Hindu that following a request from the Secretary, Municipal Administration, C.K. Gariyali, and Mr Bedi, the Swamiji and Mr Oberoi came over here.

Mr. Oberoi said he would adopt Thevanampattinam, which was the biggest of fishermen villages and worst hit in the district.

Swami Chidanand Saraswathi said the prayer he conducted along with six Rishi Kumars was meant to invoke the Almighty to give peace to the departed souls and courage to the survivors.

Mr. Oberoi said that as a short-term relief, he would fulfil the immediate requirements of the people by providing them blankets, clothes and plastic buckets and as a long-term arrangement, he would rebuild the houses, repair the damaged boats and buy fishing nets from Mumbai and even from China.

Mr. Oberoi said the Ashram people would undertake the rehabilitation works in the village in coordination with the local body. He would also mobilise funds from Mumbai.

Chief Minister's nod

Mr. Bedi said it would be welcome if private and non-governmental organisations adopted the affected villages. But it needed the consent of the Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa. Permission was required because in rehabilitation, government land ought to be earmarked. In such cases, the municipal engineer would be entrusted with the task of mobilising the building materials and the local body would extend the technical assistance.

The Swamiji and the actor held discussions with the Collector on the rehabilitation plan.

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