Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Chennai collectorate seeks Thiruvallur, Kanchi land to implement slum free city project


C Shivakumar
Chennai:
Chennai district is facing the issue of identifying suitable land to implement the Slum Free City Programme under Rajiv Awas Yojana and is seeking the help of Thiruvallur and Kancheepuram districts to alienate vacant government lands in the suburban Chennai, according to sources.

Sources said under Rajiv Awas Yojana, which envisages the holistic development of urban slums, the government has proposed to build one lakh houses in Chennai and nine other cities at a total cost of Rs 7500 crore before 2017.

Interestingly, in Chennai suitable lands could not be identified as such the collectors of Thiruvallur and Kanchipuram districts have been requested to alienate vacant government lands in Chennai suburbs for rehabilitation, sources said.

As part of the project, a socio-economic survey and the preparation of geographical information system (GIS) base map of slums are in progress in the nine cities. These include Chennai, Madurai, Coimbatore, Erode, Tiruppur, Trichy, Tirunelveli, Salem and Vellore. The survey is likely to be commenced in Tuticorin soon, sources said.

On completion of the socio-economic survey, a gap analysis in housing, civic and social infrastructure will be carried out and a Slum Free City Plan of Action will be prepared with prioritation of slums to be covered in a five year project implementation period.

It is estimated that about 40 per cent of slum families live in objectionable lands and have to be rehabilitated in alternative locations, according to official sources.

Due to lack of Union government not extending financial assistance towards land cost, the slum clearance board is depending on vacant government land for such rehabilitation, sources said.

Sources said that the district collectors are appointed as chairman of Rajiv Awas Yojana and are urged to identify and alienate government vacant lands vested with various departments for slum rehabilitation.

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