The Hindu : Front Page : March for better housing for the rural poor

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March for better housing for the rural poor

Shyam Ranganathan

Krishnammal Jagannathan leads a campaign in Chief Minister’s birthplace

AWARENESS DRIVE: Krishnammal Jagannathan at a march to Valivalam on Thursday.

NAGAPATTINAM: Nearly a thousand people, mostly women, marched six km from Tirukkuvalai to Valivalam behind the “alternative” Nobel winner Krishnammal Jagannathan on Gandhi Jayanthi day to promote awareness of issues of the rural poor.

Leading the march, Ms. Jagannathan said: “It is a shame that people still live in wretched mud huts in Tamil Nadu in spite of other developments. Today, all those marching should take a vow that there will be no mud huts or liquor in the area before six months are over.”

Over 2,000 people had obtained pucca houses due to the actions of the Land for the Tiller Freedom (LAFTI) organisation, headed by Ms. Jagannathan.

She said that there were plans for 1,000 more houses this year.

Due to an increase in the cost of housing, she requested the State government to provide free sand or sanction sufficient funds for constructing these houses.

She had chosen Tirukkuvalai as it was the birthplace of the Chief Minister, who had fought for the rights of Tamils and asked him to take up this issue for the rural poor in the area.

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