TN seeks allocation of Rs 26,575 cr funds for building homes in coastal districts

C Shivakumar @ Chennai:

Tamil Nadu government has urged the Centre to make special allocation of Rs 26,575 crore for building 3.42 lakh dwelling units in 13 coastal districts of the state.

The state has sought the sanction of funds for building the dwelling units in coastal districts so as to ensure the loss of lives, property and livelihood to families living in kutcha houses in minimised.

As per the demand survey conducted by Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board, the urban housing requirement assessed under the 13 coastal districts is 5.85 lakh dwelling units. Of these, approval for construction of 1.89 lakh houses at a project cost of 7,499 crore has been obtained from Centre with the recommendation of State Level Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee.

Interestingly, of the 5.85 lakh houses, a majority of dwelling units to be constructed for poor falls in Thiruvallur, Chennai and Kancheepuram districts. In these three districts alone, the demand for housing is 2.53 lakh dwelling units. Of these only 52,707 dwelling units have been approved at a cost of Rs 3,051 crore.

The total project outlay for the three districts alone comes to around 12,580 crore.

 In Kanyakumari, which is battered by Cyclone Ockhi, the demand for housing is 36,750n of which 22,266 have been approved at a cost of Rs 706 crore. Similarly, the demand survey has identified the requirement of 42,277  homes in Thoothkudi district of which 18,377 homes have been sanctioned at a cost of Rs 558 crore.

Similarly in Nagapattinam district, the demand survey has identified requirement of 22,059 houses of which only 7001 homes have been approved at a cost of rs 230.751 crore, an official source said.

Factfile:

Demand housing survey in 13 coastal districts of TN

Houses required: 5.86 lakh

Houses approved: 1.89 lakh

Project cost Approved: 7,499 crore