The Coimbatore Corporation will request for more grant from the Government to meet the increased cost of constructing 9,600 tenements for slum-dwellers.
Stating this at a special meeting of the Corporation Council on Friday, Corporation Commissioner Anshul Mishra said the Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board had obtained more grant than originally allotted, in order to meet the cost escalation in its project.
The Corporation too could make a similar attempt, he said. When All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam member P. Rajkumar wanted to know the reasons for the increase in the project cost, the Commissioner said the scheme was first drawn up at an estimate of Rs. 184 crore.
But, the cost had to be re-worked to Rs. 424 crore in order to provide earthquake-resistant structures.
The Commissioner also clarified that the Corporation did not know of the latest technology when the detailed project report was prepared.
The civic body came to know of it only when the detailed estimates were being prepared after the DPR was approved by the Government.
The Corporation, would, now make an attempt to get more grant, apart from what was allotted against the earlier estimate.
The Council approved the revised estimate and proposals to seek grant and also explore the option of loans.
Leader of the Opposition and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam member V.N. Udayakumar said the entire Basic Services for Urban Poor scheme to build the tenements for slum-dwellers could have been implemented by the slum clearance board. He said the Corporation could have handed over the land to the board and concentrated on other infrastructure schemes. Already, a part of the housing scheme under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission was being implemented by the board, he pointed out.
Proposals
At an urgent meeting later, the Council approved proposals for the installation of streetlights, improvements to roads and putting up of shelters at bus stops in view of the World Classical Tamil Conference in June.
