Construction, and Sanitation Workers Demand Free Housing in Tirunelveli

Dozens of construction workers and unorganised sector labourers gathered at the Tirunelveli District Collectorate on Monday, demanding free house site pattas and access to welfare schemes. The group, members of the Tamil Nadu Uzhaikkum Karangal Construction and Unorganised Sector Labourers Welfare Association, submitted a petition to District Collector R. Sukumar during the weekly grievance redressal meeting.

Most petitioners belong to below-poverty-line (BPL) families and currently live in cramped, rented sheds with their families. In their plea, they cited irregular employment and the inability to afford basic necessities such as food and children’s education. They urged the district administration to allocate free house sites on government poramboke land, in line with the Tamil Nadu government’s policy for poor families.

The workers also requested the Collector’s help in securing registration with the Unorganised Sector Welfare Board. They explained that their applications are often rejected by Village Administrative Officers (VAOs) because their parents possess ‘Kisan Cards,’ indicating farm work. However, the petitioners emphasized that they now live independently and have shifted to construction or daily wage jobs to sustain their families, as farm work is available only four months a year in Tirunelveli.

In a separate petition, representatives from the Aathi Thamizhar Munnetra Kazhagam demanded housing for 400 sanitation workers currently living in rented accommodations. While 404 new flats are being constructed at Ambedkar Nagar in Palayamkottai by the Tamil Nadu Urban Livelihood Development Corporation (TNUDC) to replace unsafe, decades-old buildings, these 400 workers have been left out. The petitioners urged the government to extend the housing scheme to these workers and requested that TNUDC bear the ₹1 lakh beneficiary contribution per family.

Meanwhile, villagers from Palamadai, near Tirunelveli, submitted a complaint alleging that an individual had illegally occupied their community hall. They claimed the person, despite being issued an eviction notice by the Panchayat, is inciting locals against authorities. They sought the Collector’s immediate intervention to reclaim the space for public use.