The Thiruvananthapuram district is leading in the number of houses constructed under the State government’s Livelihood Inclusion and Financial Empowerment (LIFE) Mission, with a total of 38,894 houses completed under various categories as per data till last week. Across the State, 2.64 lakh houses have been completed, with Palakkad district in the second position with 30,506 houses.
Pathanamthitta district is in the last position on the list with just 6,786 houses completed, while Kasaragod and Kottayam too have low numbers with 9,497 and 9,512 houses respectively. The figures for Thiruvananthapuram district include 3,075 houses constructed under the Scheduled Caste Department and 1,455 houses under the Fisheries Department.
Tower projects
In addition, work on three LIFE tower projects has begun in the rural areas. The process for procuring building permit is progressing for a four-storey complex with 44 housing units at Poovachal. At Madavoor and Azhoor, earthwork has been completed for similar complexes with 36 and 44 housing units respectively.
Apart from these three projects, the local bodies in the district have identified plots for housing complexes at five locations. The Pallikkal grama panchayat has identified a one-acre plot for which funding will be from the Cooperative Department’s Care Home project. The Pulimath grama panchayat has identified 2.09 acres of land, the Nedumangad municipality has identified 1.38 acres of land, the Kattakada grama panchayat and the city Corporation 0.5 acres of land for LIFE towers.
Prefab technology
The work on other flat complex projects at different parts of the State are at various stages of completion. Since the construction is using prefabricated technology, the work is now progressing at a faster rate. The projects will have livelihood-enabling training centres and other facilities added to it.
Land, a problem
Identifying enough land for flat projects in urban areas is still a concern for the LIFE Mission. Scarcity of land as well as the reluctance of land owners to sell at lower prices have contributed to the delays in urban projects. The mission had last year identified several plots owned by various departments across the State, for constructing apartment complexes.
