Barnala inaugurated an orphanage and community hall

Governor Surjit Singh Barnala on Saturday inaugurated an orphanage and a community hall on the premises of the Seva Illam here at a cost of Rs. 2 crore to accommodate 70 children rendered orphans by the tsunami.The orphanage, built by the India Heritage Research Foundation of Swami Chidanand Saraswati under Project Hope, also houses a computer centre with 20 personal computers, a vocational centre equipped with 20 sewing machines, a medical centre, a dormitory, a kitchen and a dining hall.

During an interaction with the Governor, the inmates stated that they wanted to take up careers such as doctors, engineers, collectors and police officers. But none of them preferred to pursue the family avocation of fishing. The orphaned girls presented cultural programmes.The Governor said Indian sub-continent was vulnerable to earthquakes, cyclones and floods.Of the 10,740 lives lost in the country in the December 26, 2004 tsunami, Tamil Nadu accounted for 8,010 deaths. It was high time the country evolved strategies for improving preparedness and possible prevention of natural disasters.

The common misbelieve that nothing could be done about disaster must be shunned and the non-governmental organisations and social service agencies must join hands with the administration in disaster mitigation exercise.Educational institutions should instruct students on the do's and don'ts at the time of disaster. Mr. Barnala said all religions preached peace, brotherhood and humaneness and hence, the religious organisations should be for the welfare of the people. By rendering timely services in the tsunami-hit areas, the Foundation had become a role model to others in extending helping hand to the people in distress, he said.

The Governor also inaugurated 108 houses and two community halls built by the Alternative for India Development at a cost of Rs. 2.30 crore at Killai, and the hostel for adolescent girls built by the Italian Association for Aid to Children at a cost of Rs. 72 lakh.District Collector Rajendra Ratnoo said 2,323 permanent houses had been handed over to the victims and 2,348 houses were in various stages of construction.Swami Chidanand Saraswathi chose to call the inmates as "divine children" and not as orphans. T.Thangarasu, Municipal Chairman, and K. Ravichandran, Chairman of Killai Town Panchayat, participated.