General
Women from Eral sit in the protest at Thoothukudi Collectorate on Monday.
| Photo Credit: RAJESH N
Members of the kattunayakkan community from Eral submitted a petition at the weekly grievance redressal meeting held at the Thoothukudi Collectorate on Monday, demanding issuance of community certificates for their children’s education and to access government welfare schemes.
Over 400 petitions were received at the weekly grievance redressal meeting chaired by Thoothukudi Collector K. Elambahavath.
Under the leadership of Purathi Baratham party’s city district secretary Mariselvam, residents belonging to kattunayakkan community from Ganesapuram locality in Eral submitted the petition.
They stated, “We have been living in this area for 120 years. Our children are unable to continue their studies, because they have not been issued community certificates. We are also unable to secure government job opportunities and have been pushed into backwardness.”
They urged the authorities to take immediate action to provide community certificates for the welfare of kattunayakkan community people.
Meanwhile, tension prevailed at the Collectorate as around 20 women from Eral region staged a protest, following submission of their petition demanding recovery of their jewellery pledged with a private finance company.
The petition stated, “A private finance company operated in Eral had claimed to offer interest free gold loans. Believing this, 82 people from nearby areas pledged about two and half kilograms of gold jewellery with the company. But when we went to retrieve our jewellery, they refused to return it.”
They added that although the company owner has been arrested following complaints, there was still no information about their jewellery. “We filed complaints with the police, but received no proper response,” they noted.
They urged the authorities to take necessary action to recover their gold jewellery.
Published – November 17, 2025 09:31 pm IST