C Shivakumar
Chennai:
Situated in the outskirts of Chennai city, the contours of the once
sleepy Nerkundram panchayat is slowly changing as high and the mighty
in the Indian bureaucracy are awaiting their turn to get their address
in this dusty town dotted by slums, small and medium sized houses and
multi-storey apartments.
But it looks like the wait will be prolonged for the 608 all India
service officers with the change in regime as the 445 crore Tamil Nadu
Housing Board scheme for government servants has hit a roadblock with
the project being reviewed by the Housing and Development minister R
Vaithilingam.
The project, which got the approval of the TNHB on October 27, 2010,
four and a half months prior to elections, is now mired in controversy
over the alleged pricing discrepancies and planning issues.
An RTI activist Gopalakrishnan quoting letter number CE/TNHB TP.
no.8/09 dated September 2009 said the the land is not acquired for
this purpose but regular housing scheme. It has now been converted for
government employees. And what is more surprising is the pricing of
houses.
Sources claim the cost of flats for all india service officers, which
is about Rs 65 lakh, is way below the market value of approximately Rs
3 crore. Builders said the market value of per square feet is Rs 3,800
to Rs 4,000. Currently, the bureaucrats are allotted 1A and 1B type
flats, measuring 2,460 sqft and 1,925 sqft, at Rs 2,603 and Rs 2,600
per sqft
respectively.
But what is more surprising is that the houses for the low income
group and the middle income group is priced much higher that those
given to the all India service officers.
While the Tamil Nadu grade officers have to shell out Rs 2,893 per
square feet for the Rs 44.07 lakh flat the low income group has to
shell out Rs 2,693 per square feet way below of what the all India
service officers are paying. “The flats is not properly
cross-subsidized,” sources said.
“We are looking into the pricing discrepancies. The whole project is
reviewed by me,” said Vaithalingam when Express contacted him.
Interestingly, the project still doesn’t have the approval of the
layout plan but tenders have been already floated. “How could they do
it when the plan is not approved. What is the urgency in pushing the
project at a break-neck speed before the elections,” reasoned a CMDA
official.
Sources also told Express that planning permission can be accorded
only after the approval of the layout plan pending in CMDA and
fulfilling the recommendations as per the multi-storey building panel
recommendations held on March 1, 2011.
Sources said although the proposal satisfies all the MSB parameters
under development regulations, Tamil Nadu Housing Board has yet to
fulfill the requirements of handing over the land reserved as open
space reservation and link road in the layout proposal. CMDA sources
said TNHB has to form the abuting road as per the width available in
the block map and also to remove the encroachments on the
abuting road.
CMDA sources said that no other state, bureaucrats have got such a
scheme. Many have also questioned the timing of lots on April 30 when
the poll code of conduct was in force. “Why no draw was conducted for
low income group and the middle income group officers,” they reasoned.
Even the architect was not selected in a transparent manner. He was
done by an appointment, a CMDA official said.
“Many All India Service officers who have more than one house have
also got allotment under the lot system,” RTI activist Gopalakrishnan
alleged.
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