The Hindu : Front Page : Rs.5,000-crore project to provide land, houses

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Monday, Nov 24, 2008
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Rs.5,000-crore project to provide land, houses

Special Correspondent

All landless among SC/STs, others to benefit

Photo: S. Mahinsha

Talks: Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan along with Ministers A.K. Balan, K.P. Rajendran and Benoy Viswom at a discussion on a special package for the landless in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday. —

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan announced here on Sunday a project, costing Rs.5,000 crore, for providing houses and land to all landless among the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and other eligible sections of society.

Talking to the media after a conference with organisations of the Scheduled Castes and Tribes, the Chief Minister said that cooperatives would make available Rs.2,500 crore for the special package.

The Department for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Development would contribute Rs.1,500 crore and other departments would provide Rs.1,000 crore.

“The project, which is to be carried out over the next two and a half years, will be the first of its kind in the country.”

Mr. Achuthanandan said that 1.33 lakh Scheduled Caste and 3,500 Scheduled Tribe families were homeless in the State. Construction of houses for 1.33 lakh families would cost Rs.997.5 crore, at Rs.75,000 a house. Houses for Scheduled Tribes would cost Rs.350 crore.

Land for the landless

As many as 68,148 families belonging to the Scheduled Castes had no land. Each of those families would be given three to ten cents.

The Revenue Department would find 5,000 acres. Additional land required would be purchased for Rs.300 crore. Each beneficiary would be given Rs.50,000 for purchase of land. Forest dwelling tribes were being provided with land in the forest areas. Remaining tribals would be covered under the package.

The government had already announced a five lakh housing scheme for other poor sections of society. Steps had also been taken to distribute excess land. Encroached government land was being surveyed and cleared for distribution to the poor.

The Chief Minister said a Cabinet subcommittee, with him as chairman and the Minister for the Welfare of Scheduled and Backward Communities and Revenue Minister as vice-chairmen, would be formed to oversee the implementation of the package.

A Secretariat-level committee would be constituted to prepare the plan and finalise the procedures for implementation of the package.

Chengara

Mr. Achuthanandan said that the government would not use force to evict those agitating for land at Chengara.

They could continue their stir. However, it would not be possible to provide them with one acre each, as that much land was not available.

Its leader Laha Gopalan urged that caste-based reservation be ended.

But such a proposal was not acceptable to the government as long as casteism was dominant.

He said that medical assistance was being provided to the agitators at Chengara at the nearest clinic.

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