Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Wednesday announced that the Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board would now be called the Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board.
Making the announcement in the Assembly, Mr. Stalin said not only should slums be replaced, but the livelihoods of people living there should be uplifted. “The name is being changed with an intention to uplift their lives,” he said.
Mr. Stalin said the Slum Clearance Board was launched when M. Karunanidhi first became the Chief Minister of the State, and it was highly appreciated by then Union Minister Jagjivan Ram, and he expressed his desire to extend the scheme to all States.
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Officials said the United Nations (UN) was using the word “habitat” to refer to dwellings of people, and the Tamil Nadu government has also decided to use the term. “The word slum is normally used in a derogatory way, and some IAS officials have been fighting to change that for 25 years. It has now become a reality,” a senior official said.
Viduthalai Chiruthaikal Katchi (VCK) MP D. Ravikumar said the changes should go beyond mere re-naming of the board. “There should be a qualitative change. The government should ensure that every citizen has a house,” he said.
A. Devaneyan of Thozhamai, a non-governmental organisation, said it was a welcome move, but the change in name should also reflect in the system. “I have been opposing the word “clearance” for some time. When eviction is done, people should be rehabilitated within a 100-m radius from their old habitats. The government should take into account that 53% of the people are living in urban areas,” he said.
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Underscoring the need for a white paper on relocations, Mr. Devaneyan said the government should ensure the participation of slum dwellers in the board. “There is also a need for creating Urban Samathuvapurams,” he said.