The northern districts of the State get the lion's share in allocation of houses to be covered under the Kalaignar Veedu Vazhangum Thittam (KVVT - Kalaignar Housing Scheme).
Of the total three lakh houses to be covered this year, about 40 per cent – around 1.22 lakhs – will be in the districts of Villupuram, Cuddalore, Tiruvannamalai, Vellore, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur. This is because of the presence of a greater number of huts in these districts, says an official. The scheme envisages conversion of huts into permanent houses, irrespective of the type of wall.
Billed as the biggest State-funded scheme, the KVVT is being carried out in rural parts of the State. The six-year-long scheme will be implemented simultaneously in all 12,618 village panchayats across the State. The government had earmarked Rs.1,800 crore this year. In view of the increase in the unit cost from Rs. 60,000 to Rs. 75,000, the government would have to incur Rs. 450 crore additionally.
As part of the survey carried out for the scheme, nearly 22 lakhs huts were enumerated. Another official says that the actual number of huts to be covered is likely to be less as a few lakh houses have become ineligible. The authorities have designed the allocation in such a manner that equity is ensured across communities.
The house allocation has been made among various communities (Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Most Backward Classes, BC and Other Communities) in proportion to the total number of eligible huts belonging to each community.
