Enumeration of huts to be conducted soon under housing scheme

Those living on lands owned by elected representatives not eligible

Enumeration of huts in Villupuram district will be conducted soon to identify beneficiaries under the Kalaignar Housing Scheme aimed at conversion of all huts into concrete houses, said Collector R. Palanisamy.

Presiding over a training session for taluk and district-level officials here on Saturday, he said the exercise would be carried out independently without the interference of elected representatives of village panchayats, civic bodies, MLAs and MPs.

These officials, in turn, would impart training to Makkal Nala Paniyalargal, panchayat clerks and Village Administrative Officers. In all, 28 particulars (columns) would have to be gathered from every hut-dweller.

The enumeration would be comprehensive in nature as it would record the details of the dwelling units: whether they were mud huts with coconut fronds, palm leaves or asbestos for roofing, measurement of area in which every hut is located and whether a hut has come up on a ‘poromboke' land or a patta land.

Mr. Palanisamy categorically said the dwellers of those hutments that have come under the patronage or on the lands owned by the elected representatives of the local bodies (including councillors, vice-presidents and presidents of panchayats), civic bodies, MLAs and MPs would not be eligible for the scheme.

If the huts have come up on the lands belonging to temple, church or mosque, the inhabitants ought to get “no objection certificates” from the authorities concerned to qualify for the scheme.

The officials would also collect details such as employment status of the hut-dwellers. As sanitary workers and pump operators are considered regular employees, they are excluded from the scheme.

Those who are dwelling in huts put up on “objectionable lands” such as lands belonging to the Highways and Forest Department and burial grounds and water sources such as ponds, lakes and tanks are not eligible to get the benefits.

Migrant labourers should be present at the original place of living during the enumeration and if they fail to do so, they would forfeit the benefits.

The electoral rolls prepared for the May 2009 Lok Sabha elections, the lists prepared under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme and the records maintained by the VAOs would be used as base documents for the purpose, Mr. Palanisamy said.

District Revenue Officer C.Kathiravan and Project Director (District Rural Development Agency V.Mahendran and others participated.