Proposing a massive housing scheme for slum dwellers in municipalities and town panchayats, the State government has planned to construct around 2.15 lakh dwelling units at a cost of about Rs.13,455 crore.
If this proposal were to fructify, 25 per cent of urban slum families in these two categories of urban local bodies would be covered.
There are 126 municipalities and 528 town panchayats in the State. Kancheepuram, Cuddalore, Thanjavur, Dindigul, Theni and Tirunelveli account for about 35 per cent of the share. The proposal has been listed in the prime slot of the chapter, titled ‘Grants for State Specific Needs,’ of the State government’s memorandum submitted to the 14 Finance Commission on Monday. The government has requested the Finance Commission to recommend an assistance of 50 per cent (Rs. 7,150 crore) of the project cost, as it is of the view that the remaining 50 per cent can be met through its schemes and other programmes.
As per the government’s plan, the scheme is to be taken up during 2015-2020. Of the total number (2,15,283) of houses, 1,46,392 will come up in municipalities and 68,891 in town panchayats. The proposal has been formulated as there is not much scope under the existing schemes and programmes to address the housing problem of slum dwellers.
At present, 44,870 tenements are being constructed under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission at a cost of Rs. 2,431 crore in Chennai, Madurai and Coimbatore municipal corporations.
