Frame scheme for grant of patta lands to Narikuravars

The Madras High Court has directed the Vellore District Collector to consider framing a scheme for grant of patta lands to the members of Kuruvikarar (Narikuravar) tribe, which is a gypsy community. 

The first bench comprising Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice R Hemalatha passed the above direction after recording the petitioner’s submission that the members of Narikuravar community have no place to reside and they are pavement dwellers, who take shelter in bus stands, railway Station and under garages and sheds abutting the streets.

Directing the Vellore District Collector to treat the writ petitions as a representation of the petitioner and the members of the Kuruvikarar, the bench also recorded the petitioner’s contention that members of the Narikuravar community by and large are illiterates, living in poverty and prone to diseases. 

Petitioner N Raja in his public interest litigation also contended that to bring the members of the Narikuravar community to the main stream of the society, it is imperative that they should be provided with basic amenities of decent living and in particular patta lands on which they can construct their houses. He had also noted that the Narikurvar constitute a mere 0.1 per cent of the population of Tamil Nadu.