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Tuesday, Sep 23, 2008
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Take up housing scheme, civic chiefs told

Special Correspondent

Photo: S. Mahinsha

Plan matters: Local Administration Minister Paloli Mohammed Kutty addressing a meeting of Mayors and municipal chairmen to review the implementation of Plan projects in the capital on Monday. —

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Local Administration Minister Paloli Mohammed Kutty has directed the civic chiefs to give top priority to the EMS Housing Scheme for the houseless poor.

Addressing a meeting of Mayors and municipal chairpersons here on Monday, Mr. Kutty said that instead of wasting the funds allocated for welfare schemes for Scheduled Tribes, they should be utilised for constructing houses for the houseless poor. The civic chiefs should fix a target for the housing scheme and work in a systematic manner. While the Eleventh Plan fund absorption had touched impressive levels, there was further scope for improving the quality of projects, he said.

More caution should be exercised while implementing Centrally-sponsored schemes. The criticism that the schemes were not being completed on time and that funds were not utilised properly could be avoided. Some municipalities were lagging far behind in implementing the schemes. Timely completion would help secure the sanctioned funds. Due importance should be given to the farming sector. Civic bodies which could not take up paddy farming, should turn to vegetable cultivation.

The Minister said that waste management was one of their prime responsibilities and processing plants must be set up to avert a crisis. Some civic bodies were going slow on enforcing the ban on plastic too. There should be a concerted effort to check unauthorised construction. Also, building licence must be issued to the public in a hassle-free manner. The process should not be delayed on flimsy grounds.

Local Administration Principal Secretary S.M. Vijayanand and Kudumbasree Mission director Sarada Muralidharan attended the meeting.

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