Evictions do not affect men and women equally. Often, women bear the brunt, be it because of unplanned evictions or domestic violence that results from loss of livelihood. With no government facilities in place to turn to for help, the women in Chennai’s resettlement areas often suffer in silence.
To address this issue, the Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board (TNUHDB) will soon establish ‘one-stop centres’ in resettlement areas in the city. Meanwhile, a residential de-addiction centre has also been set up in Kannagi Nagar to tackle substance abuse, especially among young men and boys.
Our earlier articles in this series explored how loss of livelihood leads to domestic violence against women, challenges faced by community workers who respond to domestic violence cases in resettlement areas and how skill development courses like tailoring can help women secure jobs and fight domestic violence and child abuse.
Tamil Nadu has two lakh tenements under TNUHDB in 21 divisions. Of these, nine divisions in Chennai have 130 tenements. However, there is no concrete data on the number of domestic violence cases registered in the resettlement tenements. How can TNUHDB and other government bodies address this issue?
In the fourth part of the series, we spoke to JA Nirmalraj, the Chief Community Development Officer of the Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board (TNUHDB).
Excerpts from the interview:
On domestic violence in resettlement areas
What is TNUHDB’s plan to address the issues of domestic violence and substance abuse in resettlement areas?
We provide livelihood opportunities to reduce domestic violence in resettlement areas. Additionally, a Social Development Specialist is engaged for the World Bank project to help prevent substance abuse. In collaboration with the National Health Mission, Institute of Mental Health (Kilpauk), and TT Ranganathan Clinical Research Foundation, we established a de-addiction centre at Kannagi Nagar, that accommodates 15 people and offers family counselling. We have also asked the National Health Mission to set up a de-addiction centre in Perumbakkam.
A mega drug abuse prevention programme was held to raise awareness about the issue with various resident welfare associations (RWAs), in early August. Also, work on establishing ‘one-stop centres’ to support domestic violence victims is underway, the first of which will come up in Kannagi Nagar. Later we will have similar centres in Perumbakkam and other areas.
Earlier, we established a Family Welfare Centre coordinating with the Social Welfare Department in Semmenchery and Perumbakkam. However, because of lack of funds, the centre hasn’t been functioning.
Education and safety issues
There is an increasing trend of child marriages in resettlement areas due to loss of livelihood, safety issues and inaccessibility to quality education. Has the board taken any steps to address this issue?
TNUHDB has taken several steps like constructing school buildings and upgrading primary schools to higher secondary schools over the years. We have also established colleges in the locality for accessibility to higher education.
In collaboration with the School Education Department, we conduct enrolment drives and career guidance programmes. Over the past two years, we have identified students who failed their Grade 12 final exams and given them opportunities to retake the exams. raised awareness about government schemes that can benefit these students in pursuing higher education.
Another measure is to ensure streetlights are functional to enhance safety on the streets.
Read more: Families in Chennai’s resettlement colonies need urgent attention and a fairer policy
Training to develop skills in Chennai’s resettlement areas
Under what schemes are you conducting skill development training in resettlement sites? What funds are allocated for the training?
The community development wing of TNUHDB was established in 1978. Initially, the government was allocating funds for skill development training.
After the establishment of the Tamil Nadu Skill Development Corporation (TNSDC), Tamil Nadu Urban Livelihood Mission (TNULM) and Tamilnadu Adi Dravidar Housing Development Corporation (TAHDCO), the role of TNUHDB has been restricted to mobilising the candidates for skill development training and facilitating the training. Now TNUHDB is imparting the training by the funds directed through TNSDC, TNULM and TAHDCO based on the announcements made in the assembly.
TNUHDB has provided skill development training to 6,464 people in Chennai from 2021 to 2024.
How do you decide what courses should be offered? Do you conduct any surveys?
Each of the 21 divisions across Tamil Nadu have at least one community officer or a community development officer (CDO). Through camps and door-to-door campaigns, the CDOs identify candidates and conduct meetings with women’s groups, youth groups and RWAs to know what courses they prefer.
Once we get a list of the candidates with their qualifications and other details for specific courses, we send the list to TNSDC, TNULM and TAHDCO. After this, TNSDC will impart training through its empanelled instructors.
Many tailors but little work
With over 1,000 trained tailors in Perumbakkam, how do you plan to help them with marketing their skills?
Our role is restricted to mobilising the candidates but we do not stop at that. We coordinate with TNULM, which has different projects like City Livelihood Centres (Kannagi Nagar) and facilitate the formation of women’s self-help groups in resettlement areas.
We have also provided space for a network of NGOs to set up skill development centres in the resettlement areas. Additionally, we supply sewing machines through their CSR funds.
Projects like the Integrated Cooum River Eco Restoration offer support for smaller economic activities. Through this, trained tailors are given sewing machines and those who have completed beautician courses get a professional make-up kit to start their work. We also provide tricycles and pushcarts for people who are want engage in economic activities.
Apart from CDOs, we have Community Participant Assistants, who are from resettled families living in the same locality. Through them, people can reach out to us for sewing machines or any other help.
As a solution to the loss of livelihood, the women in Perumbakkam ask for garment units. Does the government have any plans to provide such livelihood options?
There are plans to help them tie up with the nearby export units. TNULM’s City Livelihood Mission has more role to play in this and we will coordinate with them to consider setting up garment units.
Skill development for everyone
Experts opine that these skill development trainings are highly gender-stereotyped. What do you have to say about this?
I agree that certain skill development courses are gender-stereotyped. But, we are addressing this with courses like driving classes for women. Around nine women in Kannagi Nagar were given autos on a loan basis recently.
Are there any plans to introduce vocational training for men?
For men, we have provided various training programmes like driving, plumbing, electricals, baking, computer billing, customer relations and painting. But, it is not easy to train the men in the community. Women are more regular than men. Men prefer immediate income and do not have the patience for classroom-based training at their age.
Given that resettlement areas in Chennai have many youth and senior citizens, is the TNUHDB planning any specific programmes for them?
Under CSR programmes and with NGO tie-ups, we conduct spoken English courses in resettlement areas for youngsters. We have formed youth groups to provide soft-skill training as well. On August 10, TNUHDB conducted a job fair at Perumbakkam.
We are dependent on TNSDC, TNULM and TAHDCO for skill development programmes and I do not think they have any specific plans for senior citizens. We conduct camps to enrol them for the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme, widow pension and financial assistance for persons with disability.
Under E-Shram, a comprehensive National Database of Unorganised Workers (NDUW) launched by the Ministry of Labour and Employment, we enrol workers from the unorganised sector and facilitate the delivery of welfare benefits and social security measures to them.