Elmarose Antony was just seven years old when her family was evicted from Mulavukad for the rail link of the Vallarpadam International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT) back in 2008.
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After initially moving into a relative’s home, her father was forced into taking a home loan to set up a modest home in Mulavukad from where she could still see their displaced property on which now stands one of the many blue-coloured pillars of the rail bridge, which is part of an 8.86km-rail corridor. As many as 316 families across seven villages were evicted for the rail/road connectivity of the ICTT project.
Ms. Antony was among the 181 youngsters from the displaced families who turned up at the district collectorate on a rainy Monday morning as part of mass submission of job applications organised by the Moolamppilly Coordination Committee (MCC). The rehabilitation package announced by the government shortly after the eviction had promised job to one eligible person each from every evicted family in the ICTT project but never honoured it.
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“This was my third application for the promised job. Our five-member family is reliant solely on the meagre income of our father’s contract work with a hotel as an electrician. Even that job is in danger now leading to defaults in the payment of the housing loan,” said Ms. Antony who is now doing her postgraduation after completing B.Voc in Retail Management.
The story of Sandra Wilson, 24, whose family was evicted from Manjummal for the Container Terminal Road, is no different either. Having completed her M.Sc and now undergoing six month’s training for potential jobs under Short Service Commission, she is in dire need of a job to help her father, a casual worker, to help repay the home loan.
“Being the eldest child, it is my responsibility to help my family. Small time contract jobs will be of little help,” said Ms. Wilson whose younger brother is doing B.Com.
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When evicted for one of the many bridges along the Container Terminal Road in Kothad, Jiyamol Augustine’s family was forced to pawn gold ornaments and meet the rest of the expenses through loan for buying a new home in Vaduthala. With her father set to sell his lone private bus in the face of bleak business prospects, Ms. Augustine, 29, now working with a private company, is looking for a better job. And with B.Tech and MBA degrees to her name, she remains well qualified as well.
“We submitted all the 181 applications with the Tapal section at the district collectorate. The officials have asked for some time to scan them and issue receipts,” said Francis Kalathungal, general convener, MCC, which has identified 800 jobs of permanent nature in ICTT.
Among the applicants aged between 19 and 36, 62 were graduates, 12 were postgraduates, nine were engineering graduates, 24 were diploma holders, 28 were ITI-certified, and 20 each had cleared SSLC and Plus Two.
“Port Trust would take necessary further action for providing employment to one member of each family evicted for construction of rail/road connectivity for the International Container Transshipment Terminal, according to their qualification,” read the order issued by the then Principal Secretary, Revenue, in connection with the rehabilitation package on March 19, 2008.