The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Coimbatore News : NRI forum plans long-term rehabilitation plan

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jan 07, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore

NRI forum plans long-term rehabilitation plan

By Our Staff Reporter

COIMBATORE, JAN. 6. Members of AIMS India Foundation, a social empowerment organisation, conducted an emergency meeting to take stock of the ongoing relief work in the tsunami-hit areas and chart out rehabilitation programmes for the victims. The forum consists of Non-Resident Indians based at the United States.

After tsunami, AIMS India volunteers started camping in the relief camps in Nagapattinam and Kanyakumari districts to ensure speedy rehabilitation of the victims. "The forum provided resources and logistics from overseas and mobilised manpower from Tamil Nadu to carry out relief and rehabilitation measures," Bhuvaneswari, AIMS co-ordinator in Tamil Nadu, said.

Plan chalked out

After carrying out relief works for a week, some members returned to Coimbatore to update their fellow members about the situation at the camps.

The meeting was held under the chairmanship of Mr. Vijay Anand, an office-bearer of the steering committee. As part of relief measures, 387 families in Vellaipallam (18 km from Velankanni), 250 families in Vaanavan Mahadevi, 228 families in Pushpavanam (22 km from Velankanni) and 125 families in Naaluvedhpathi had been covered by the team.

Collections so far

As many as 38 persons contributed of Rs.2.84 lakhs today to the district administration for rehabilitation of those affected by the tsunami. This takes the total contribution through the administration so far to Rs.93.32 lakhs.

A press release from the administration said that rice, various other grocery items, blankets, vessels and stoves totally worth Rs.3 lakhs were sent by two lorries to the affected areas. So far, relief materials worth Rs.65 lakhs had been despatched to Nagapattinam, Kanyakumari, Cuddalore and Pondicherry.

Those who made the contributions today included Kannampalayam Special Panchayat (Rs.50,287), Hi-Tech Mineral (Rs.50,000), SIMTA Group Company (Rs.38,000), Coimbatore North Tahsildar's Office (Rs.12,155), Vickson Tools (Rs.12,000) and State Bank of India (Rs.10,000).

The Coimbatore District Electrical Traders' Association has contributed Rs.1.75 lakhs.

A press release from the association said today that a demand draft for the amount was handed over to the Collector, S. Kosalaraman. The Vadavalli Sree Ayyappa Seva Sangham presented to the Collector a demand draft for Rs.10,001.

Silent procession

The Joint Committee of Coimbatore District Autorickshaw Unions has decided to collect Rs.20 from every autorickshaw driver in the district as relief for the victims and also take out a silent procession in the city on January 8. As many as 36 post-graduate social work students of the CSI Bishop Appasamy College here will conduct relief camps at Kuthenkuly, Keelamanakudi and Radhapuram in Tirunelveli District from January 7 to 16.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu

News Update

Stories in this Section

NRI forum plans long-term rehabilitation plan

Not much time to fulfil poll promises: Opposition

BSNL's offer for new entrants

Traffic diversion for ISKCON car festival

Plea for hike in interest subsidy

Former co-op. bank official held

Programme for schoolchildren

Power shutdown

In Coimbatore Today