Officials draw flak for delaying housing project

SHRC directs officials to complete flats for homeless fisher families

September 18, 2021 07:18 pm | Updated 07:19 pm IST - THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

The Kerala State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has come to the rescue of homeless families from the fishing community who have been staying at the Valiyathura UP School for years.

The Commission directed the government and the Kerala Coastal Area Development Corporation to speed up measures for their rehabilitation. The delay in the implementation of a housing project for the families amounted to denial of justice, the Commission chairman Antony Dominic observed.

The government had entrusted the Kerala State Coastal Area Development Corporation Limited with the construction of 32 flats. Eight flats have been completed. However, the government transferred 27.435 cents of land for building the remaining 24 flats to the St Antony's Public School.

Although the school provided substitute land, the corporation informed the government that seven more cents would be needed for the project. A decision on this matter is still awaited. The Fisheries Department is yet to sanction funds for the work, which also contributed to the delay, the Commission noted.

The Director, Fisheries Department, informed the Commission that the families can be rehabilitated at the flats proposed in 294 cents in Muttathara village. The Principal, St Antony's School, informed the Commission that the land transferred by the school was suitable for construction.

The Commission said it will not intervene in matters related to the allocation of land. However, the delay in the housing project amounted to denial of justice, it noted, urging the Chief Secretary and the Corporation to expedite the work.

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