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Jobless Trichiites who returned get a fresh lease of life

Trichy: Trichiites who have returned from foreign countries, other states and districts during the pandemic have found a new lease of life through self-employment back home, though on a small scale, thanks to a long-term loan of Rs 1 lakh disbursed through Tamil Nadu Rural Transformation Project (TNRTP).

C Thanganathan, 30, of Senthamangalam village near Musiri, is an MSc, MEd holder who worked as a teacher in a private school at Kallakurichi.

Six years into his profession, he got married in January, but the pandemic upended his life and he lost his job.

On returning to his native place with his wife, he decided to take up his family profession of Korai mat making and with the Rs 1 lakh loan from TNRTP, he got into the business. “I could earn about Rs 40,000 a month. Though my heart lies in teaching, I found it sensible to go for the trade in which we are experienced,” said Thanganathan on Wednesday.

P Varadharajan, 31 of Mutharasanallur, lost his job at an IT company in Chennai. The BE computer science graduate was an App developer and launched his own company at his house with the loan. “I have two US-based clients and was earning Rs 70,000 a month. Now, I cannot make more money but I have a great scope in near future,” he said.

L Amudha, 39, of Perumalpalayam near Thuraiyur has started her own beauty parlour at her house. A resident of Chennai, she was married to an engineer of Perumalpalayam who was working in Saudi Arabia. As her husband lost his job, both of them shifted their base to Perumalpalayam.

“Though it is a slow start, it will pick up in this rural area. Now, I make about Rs 15,000 a month,” said Amudha.

There were about 4,000 in Trichy district who returned from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Maldives, Bahrain, Singapore and a few other countries besides from states like Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi and Chennai and Coimbatore. The project staff identified around 1,600 such “reverse migrants” from Musiri, Andhanalllur, Manapparai, Manikandam and Thuraiyur blocks where the scheme is implemented. Among them, 400 would be eligible for the loan given the age criteria and other conditions.

“As of now, we have given loans to 68 reverse migrants and 48 of them have started their business. We are looking for more eligible candidates,” said TNRTP district executive officer I Aroon Joshva Roosevelt.

On Wednesday, a camp was organized at Kalaiarangam marriage hall where 107 turned up. The officials said that not everyone was interested to take up self-employment as some expected to return to their previous jobs once the pandemic ends.

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