The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : ‘Village’ devoted to elders opened

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Dec 18, 2007
ePaper

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

‘Village’ devoted to elders opened

A.V. Ragunathan

CUDDALORE: A Rs. 3-crore model village for accommodating 100 elders rendered destitute by the 2004 tsunami has come up at Thamaraikulam in Periyakanganakuppam, three km from here.

HelpAge India and NDTV have executed the project by contributing Rs. 1.75 crore and Rs 1.25 crore respectively. NDTV has mobilised a substantial portion of the fund from its viewers.

NDTV chairman Prannoy Roy handed over the keys to the inmates in the presence of Collector Rajendra Ratnoo and Mark Gorman of HelpAge International, UK, on Monday. The inmates, at the rate of 25, will be drawn from Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Vedharanyam and Kollam through elders’ federations set up at the instance of HelpAge India. Besides addressing the physical and emotional needs of the elders, the eco-friendly village will have facilities such as rainwater harvesting, wastewater recycling, solar lighting, biogas, dairy farm, greenhouse, vegetable and herbal garden, walkers’ path and, solid and hospital waste management.

Mr. Prannoy Roy said he was happy with the implementation the project. Credibility was the single most important thing, so, NDTV had partnered HelpAge India.

The project had set at naught the contention that Indians were not generous enough when it came to charity. If they knew that the money would be carefully spent on the socially relevant projects, they would be quite generous. For this project, they contributed not in thousands but in crores.

Mr. Ratnoo said a Village Administrative Officer would be deputed to register the prospective pensioners.

Neyveli Lignite Corporation Director (Personnel) P. Babu Rao promised to send a medical team, along with medicines, to the village every week, and to provide infrastructure.

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

Tamil Nadu