Study: 48 pc of relocatees to Perumbakkam lost livelihood

A study conducted by Information and Resource Centre for the Deprived Urban Communities (IRCDUC) and Housing and Land Rights Network (HLRN) found that about 48 per cent of the persons who were relocated to Perumbakkam tenements in the last three years lost jobs.

According to the study report made public on Wednesday, 9,055 families (36,220 individuals) were relocated to Perumbakkam between 2017 and 2020. Of the 9,055 families, members from 1,314 families had participated in the study, which is 15 per cent. The study was conducted from September to November 2020. The families were relocated from several slums in the city.

“Of the total 1,314 respondents, 1,095 were women and 219 were men. About 92 per cent of the respondents (1,214) belong to scheduled castes and others are from backward and most backward classes. Around 18 per cent of the families surveyed are women-headed families,” the report said.

Among the 1,314 persons, 91 were unemployed before the relocation, while 629 lost employment after, which is 48 per cent. Only 599 respondents are employed.

The report added that 44 per cent of women from women-headed households lost their livelihoods after relocation and are still unemployed. Also, 40 per cent of persons with disabilities lost their livelihoods after relocation and are still unemployed. Of the 629 persons, who lost employment after relocation, 550 are women. Of the 550 women, 276 were domestic helpers. Women, who were dependent on the Chintadripet Fish Market also lost their jobs.

The report cites distance, lack of employment opportunities in the new neighbourhood, inadequate transport facilities, absence of adequate day-care facilities for children and poorly lit roads inside the tenement as the reason for losing jobs. Apart from these, only 8 respondents of 1,314 respondents had accessed the livelihood restoration scheme of the Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board (TNSCB).

In the report, IRCDUC and HLRN recommend the government to conduct a detailed survey across the site to identify individuals who lost their livelihood and ensure their access to schemes. “The TNSCB should coordinate with the local panchayat to establish market spaces for all vendors. Set up a local grievance redress centre to provide information about schemes and others,” the report recommended.