Tamil Nadu - Nagapattinam   

Salt pan labourers get to play after a decade

After a gap: Assistant Salt Commissioner, Tuticorin, V. V. Laxmi distributing prize to a winner in the sports meet for salt workers held in Vedaranyam on Sunday.

NAGAPATTINAM: The Department of Salt under the Union Ministry of Commerce conducted sports and games events to encourage salt workers and their family members at Vedaranyam on Sunday.

As many as 316 male and 200 female salt labourers and their family members took part in 50-M and 100-M race, long jump, shotput, volleyball, slow cycling, musical chair, tug of war, needle and thread, lemon and spoon, Kabbadi and other events. This sports meet was held after a gap of a decade at Vedaranyam.

Dr. V. V. Laxmi, Assistant Salt Commissioner, Tuticorin, who presided and distributed about 160 prizes to the winners, said that the sports events evoked good response from salt manufacturers and workers. The district sports authorities and education department provided good support, she said.

She pointed out that the sports meets would encourage salt workers as the industry was a labour-intensive one. Vedaranyam is the second largest salt producing centre in Tamil Nadu after Tuticorin with an average annual production of three to four lakh tonne. Nearly 3,000 workers are engaged in salt production and allied activities in the Vedaranyam region, she added.

M. Meenakshisundaram, Chairman of Vedaranyam municipality, A. Vedaratnam, president, Vedaranyam salt manufacturers and merchants association, Dr. S. Sivasundaram, president, Chamber of Commerce, B. R. Meshram, Superintendent of Salt, Cuddalore, R. Sekar, Deputy Superintendent of Salt, Vedaranyam and others spoke.

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