Fourteen months after 1,072 tenements were constructed for slum dwellers that were ready for occupancy, beneficiaries are yet to get their allocation.
In 1984, Tamil Nadu Housing Board, Erode, constructed tenements at Perumpallam Canal (464 houses), Periyar Nagar (336) and Karungalpalayam (272 houses). Since the houses were damaged and the building lost its stability, tenements were demolished in 2014 and residents moved to rented houses.
Under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) Housing For All Scheme, 1,072 slum tenements were constructed at a cost of ₹125.89 crore at these places and works were completed on May 9, 2019. However, houses were yet to be allotted to the residents who continue to pay rent despite absence of income during the lockdown.
T. Durairaj, secretary, Slum Tenements Residents’ Welfare Association, told The Hindu that most of the residents were daily earners who lost their livelihood in the past six months and were unable to pay rent. “The new houses are being damaged and pipelines were stolen by miscreants,” he added. All the people living in the tenements earlier will be allotted houses as the scheme was executed under “Reconstruction of Slum Tenements” and the tenements have to pay 10% of the project cost for a house.
A senior engineer at the Tamil Nadu Housing Board said that the government is yet to decide the percentage of beneficiary contribution after which a government order will be passed. “Only after that, houses will be allotted”, he said.
