Basic amenities still lacking as TN plans to allot 14,000 tenements to slum dwellers by March 2013

C Shivakumar

Chennai:

The state government is trying not to repeat the same mistake DMK regime made in resettlement of slum families and a high level committee appointed last year is trying to ensure 14,000 tenements of slum clearance board set to be allotted in March 2013 has all basic amenties.

As work is underway to complete 14,000 of the 25,000 slum clearance board tenements  at Okkium Thoraipakkam and Perumbakkam in South Chennai by March 2013, the  committee is taking stock of provision of basic infrastructure like water supply, sewerage disposal, solid waste management, power supply, transport, ration shops, primary health centres, aanganwadis, schools to help facilitate  resettled families lead their normal life.

Sources said the provision of such amenities alone would motivate the slum families to move to new tenements voluntarily and make the resettlement scheme relevant and attractive.

However, the work to provide basic amenties could fall short of the target as many departments have yet to take up schemes which are prerequisite for allotment of tenements.

It is believed the Chennai Corporation has yet to send the list of beneficiaries of the tenements as per JNNURM guidelines which is mandatory. Sources said corporation has till now sent only 2,550 beneficiaries list. The list of other beneficiaries are still awaited.

Similarly, Municipal administration and Water Supply department has yet to start the water supply works and Metro Water has only completed 30 per cent of sewerage work. This comes after the board was urged to execute underground sewerage and water supply works for Okkium Thoraipakkam.

Power supply is another issue which the committee is monitoring and sources said the tenements can only be allotted if there is power supply. It is believed Tamil Nadu Electricity Board has to provide sub stations for the tenements.

Other issue plaguing the allotment of tenements is delay in school education department sanctioning the required classrooms and the need for adequate manpower based on the strength of students at Okkium Thoraipakkam and Perumbakkam.

Sources said the education department was requested to work out a proposal on the requirement of number of classrooms and manpower based on the students strength for the existing tenements at Kannagi Nagar, Okkium Thoraipakkam and also for proposed tenements for Okkium Thoraipakkam and Perumbakkam schemes.

Similarly the social welfare and nutritious meal programme department has yet to sanction 20 Integrated child Development Services centres at Okkium Thoraipakkam and Semmancheri and 30 centres for Perumbakkam despite being requested by slum clearance board. Interestingly, even the health department has yet to provide primary health centres after it was requested to prepare the mapping of the health infrastructure available at perumbakkam and Semmancheri and nearby areas and to provide primary health centres at okkium Thoraipakkam and perumbakkam. Interestingly, the 23-member committee is expected to meet later this month and it is expected that these issues would be discussed to ensure the settlements has all the basic amenities.

Factfile:

1.  Chennai corporation has yet to provide beneficiaries list of the tenements
2.  Metro Water has completed only 30 pc of sewerage works. Water supply works has yet to commence
3.  TNEB has yet to provide substations for tenements at okkium Thoraipakkam and Perumbakkam scheme
4.  Ration shops at the rate of one shop for 1,000 families to be provided with adequate manpower
5.  MTC yet to provide bus terminus at Okkium Thoraipakkam and Perumbakkam
6.  School education authorities yet to sanction required classrooms
7.  ICDS centres yet to be sanctioned
8.  Police department has to commence work for building stations
9.  CMDA yet to accord planning permission for Okkium Thoraipakkam and Perumbakkam schemes.
10.             Animal husbandry, dairying and fisheries dept yet to provide Aavin milk booths at Perumbakkam.
11. Police department has to commence the work for providing police stations in Okkium Thoraipakkam and Perumbakkam