[India] Remove poverty, illiteracy: Rangasamy

from The Hindu

Special Correspondent

Meet on project design for partners in Catholic Relief Services

Pondicherry: Chief Minister N. Rangasamy has called for eradication of poverty and illiteracy, terming them major social evils that particularly affected women and children.

Inaugurating a four-day workshop on Project Design for Partners in Catholic Relief Services (CRS) here on Tuesday he said that with education virtually made compulsory for children there had been a rise in literacy rate. However, there was no room for complacency. Complimenting the efforts of the voluntary and NGOs in supplementing the Government programmes, Mr. Rangasamy said that the workshop was a timely endeavour. Women and child protection should be on the top of agenda of action plan for creation of improved systems and support mechanisms at different levels to prevent trafficking and also in providing support services to the vulnerable sections of people.

The Executive Director of Pondicherry Multipurpose Social Service Society Rev.Fr.R. Ratchagar said that the workshop would come out with project design for protection of women and children (Suraksha) in Tamil Nadu. The partners associated with the workshop were organisations from coastal districts of Tamil Nadu.

The Executive Director of Society for Development, Research and Training, Ms Shyamala Ashok and another functionary of the organisation Arul Prasad, were among those present.

Ms. Anna deputy State representative (Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Andaman and Nicobar Islands) of the CRS handed a statue depicting the theme of women and child protection.

Around 30 delegates are taking part in the four-day workshop.