Potters stage demonstration for monsoon relief

Condemning the delay in disbursing the monsoon relief for them, the potters, carrying empty earthen pots on their heads, staged a demonstration in front of the Collectorate in Tirunelveli on Monday and submitted a petition to Collector K.P. Karthikeyan.

Condemning the delay in disbursing the monsoon relief for them, the potters, carrying empty earthen pots on their heads, staged a demonstration in front of the Collectorate in Tirunelveli on Monday and submitted a petition to Collector K.P. Karthikeyan.

 The protesting potters, led by district president of Tirunelveli District Earthenware Workers’ Association, Muruganantha Velar, said the earthenware workers would be rendered jobless during the monsoon and hence the Tamil Nadu Government was giving ₹5,000 as relief to feed the families of these unemployed labourers. However, the Tamil Nadu Government did not remit the relief for 2022 in the accounts of the potters till today.

 “Even after the end of the monsoon season, the Tamil Nadu Government is yet to pay the relief in the bank accounts of the workers, who are now struggling to run their families. Hence, the relief should be given to us immediately,” said Sema. Narayanan, State president of the Association.

 They also said the government should give them motorized wheels for making the earthenware and hassle-free permission for taking clay from the dry water bodies. Besides giving them ₹4 lakh subsidy for constructing their houses as being given to the construction workers, the government should allot 150 square feet in a government shopping complex for selling earthenware, the protestors demanded.

 Appealing to the Collector to give them free house, folk artists submitted a petition to Dr. Karthikeyan. They said the 2,000-odd folk artists in the district were living in abject poverty and did not have house. Hence, the Collector should give them free houses, they said.