About 280 families of boom boom mattukarars (a nomadic community of soothsayers) in the district would soon get ration cards and other necessary identification documents, such as Aadhaar cards to help them avail of government welfare schemes, thanks to the initiative of Collector Praveen B. Nair.
The initiative came after officials of Mahalir Thittam in the district conducted a survey under which the community's needs were assessed. “We found that their most important requirements for the 280 families were ration cards, voter ID, Aadhaar card, Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme (CMCHIS) card and community certificates. They had understood that these would be necessary to get more stable jobs,” said B. Balan, Assistant Project Officer, Mahalir Thittam, Nagapattinam. Mr. Balan presented his findings to the District Collector who invited elders of the community and administrative officials to discuss the matter and provide solutions, he added.
Through Mahalir Thittam, five self-help croups have been formed. “They have begun collecting money as savings. After they collect it regularly for six months, we will open a bank account and teach them how to keep books and accounts,” Mr. Balan said. All 280 families have also been issued CMCHIS cards. The youth of the community, under the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana, were given vocational training for free. “Of them, 13 members have been selected for various jobs,” he said.
Mahalir Thittam, in association with Vaanavil Trust, an NGO working in the region is also seeking to provide job opportunities and education to the children and youth in the community, Mr. Balan said. “Vaanavil has been teaching children at these villages,” said R. Revathi, founder, Vaanavil Trust.
Efforts on rehabilitating families involved in begging or those with no permanent income in the district were under way, Mr. Balan said.
“About 150 families make a living from exchanging scrap material for plastic goods and selling them in the district. By forming a common livelihood group with the assistance of Tamil Nadu State Rural Livelihoods Mission we will purchase items and hand them over to them to sell, providing them with a steady income,” he said.
Nearly 55 families were given job cards under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 .
