MYSORE: As many as 92 houses constructed by institutions and individuals of Mysore in Mudaliyarkuppam, a fishing village in Tamil Nadu, will be handed over to tsunami victims on February 11.

This is part of a package of relief and reconstruction solutions conceived by Mysore Citizens' Forum.

The houses constructed at a cost of Rs. 1.93 crores on 5.29 acres of land allotted by Tamil Nadu Government are ready for occupation, convener of the forum and hotelier P.V. Giri told reporters here on Tuesday.

During the second phase of the housing project, "Mysore Model Colony," construction of another 58 houses will be taken up at a cost of Rs. 1.22 crores, he said.

Relief solutions

Housing is only a part of the whole package of relief and construction solutions offered to Mudaliyarkuppam, a village inhabited by 1,000 people of 275 families, by the philanthropists of Mysore who have formed the forum.

The forum has distributed life kits and food material to tsunami victims in the village. They have also supplied 30 fibre glass motorised boats with fishing nets.

The forum's relief initiative, "Mission Goodwill," includes repair of the local high school building and distribution of education kits, uniforms and books to schoolchildren.

Food material

A sum of Rs. 50 lakhs has been spent on distribution of life kits and food material and repair of school building. Another Rs. 50 lakh has been spent for motorised boats, which is part of occupational relief.

Mr. Giri said the forum has so far raised donations amounting to Rs. 2.25 crores. It will require Rs. 3.7 crores to implement its entire relief package in the village.

Although donations for the cause will be collected to complete implementation of the relief package, the forum is expected to seek Government contribution. Mr. Giri said Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy has agreed to hand over the houses to the tsunami victims. On the occasion, Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa will lay foundation stone for the second phase of the project. "We will urge the Karnataka Government to release funds for the rehabilitation effort taken up by the forum," Mr Giri said.

Mr. Giri made it clear that beneficiaries of the relief programme taken up by the forum will be identified by the local administration in Tamil Nadu.

As many as 18 villagers lost their lives when the tsunami hit the village on December 26, 2004. Apart from their dwellings, many lost their very means of livelihood. "Fibre boats, oar boats, mechanised catamarans and fishing nets were lost," Mr Giri said.

"After raising funds from various sources and creating a consolidated Mysore Fund for relief to tsunami victims, we toured Tamil Nadu and found Mudaliyarkuppam to be suitable of being the focus of our services. We launched `Mission Goodwill' in January last to provide a whole package of relief and reconstruction solutions to the village," Mr. Giri said.

Unique initiative

It is a unique initiative that takes goodwill between two neighbouring States to a new level of construction collaboration through private efforts, he said. Mr. Giri said the purpose of the initiative is to take the tsunami-hit community of the fishing village to a whole new plane of empowered existence through educating children, forming women's self-help groups, and developing bio-shield for protection from future disasters.

"Mission Goodwill is our maiden initiative and we hope that it will emerge as a shining symbol of fraternity, goodwill and people-to-people understanding that will turn Mudaliyarkuppam into a Model Fishing Village", Mr Giri said.

Chairman of the erstwhile Mysore Agenda Task Force R. Guru, Executive Secretary of JSS Mahavidyapeetha B.N. Betkerur and industrialist K. Narendra were present on the occasion.

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