In August 1997, the then Chief Minister, M. Karunanidhi, announced the scheme of Samathuvapuram on the occasion of the golden jubilee celebrations of Independence.
Called Periyar Ninaivu Samathuvapuram, the scheme is named after Dravida Kazhagam founder E.V. Ramasamy.
The idea is to enable persons belonging to various communities to live together without caste or communal differences.
Five cents of land has been allotted free of cost to each beneficiary.
Each habitation has 100 houses of at least 259 sq. ft.
In each Samathuvapuram, the Scheduled Castes account for 40% of the beneficiaries, the Backward Classes 25%, the Most Backward Classes 25% and the others 10%.
The first such habitation came up at Melakottai in Madurai district in August 1998. As many as 145 Samathuvapurams were built during 1997-2001 and 93 during 2008-11. As many as 15 habitations are in urban areas.
The 238th Samathuvapuram was declared open by Chief Minister M.K.Stalin at Vanur in Villupuram district recently.
