About 100-odd families of Raja Nagar victims of Tsunami that hit coastal India in December 2004 moved into their new ‘mud’ homes only to look up at the sky and wondered if their homes would at least last the next spell of rains which are expected to hit Cuddalore soon. The situation in neighboring Nallavaadu and Thalangodu is even worse.

Two dozen families in Nallavaadu and another handful in Thalangodu have boycotted the construction of homes under Rajiv Gandhi Rehabilitation Package (RGRP) scheme claiming that what is being constructed are not homes but samadhis (tombs). L. Mani, a local resident said, “I have been fighting the malpractices in the construction process for the last three years, since the program took off in our village, but not many are willing to believe me. So, I broke down my mother’s home and showed the villagers the quality of the construction.”

Mallayalathan (40), a villager from Thalangodu, whose new home has already developed cracks in several places said, “We were warned by the district officials that we will be taken off the list of beneficiaries if we protested against irregularities in the construction.”

But Rajashri, the RGRP project officer in Cuddalore, stated that she was not aware of the issue and that there were no complaints regarding the quality of the houses.

The District Collector P. Seetharaman said, “I am aware of the completion of homes in Raja Nagar. I will personally inspect the premises and take appropriate action if the construction is defective.”