Coimbatore: The State Government has ordered cancellation of a number of plots allotted by the Tamil Nadu Housing Board under the previous All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam regime as they had been allotted "without fixing the price", Minister for Housing Suba Thangavelan told a press conference here on Thursday.

"So far we have recovered such properties (including those under encroachment and those not brought to the Asset Register of the TNHB) worth Rs.100 crore and the drive is continuing," he added. Such allotments had been identified in several places including Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Dindigul, Salem, Namakkal and Hosur.

He conceded that 69,000 allottees of TNHB constructions all over the State were yet to get the title deed despite passage of several years. "This is not due to negligence of officials but because of litigations, especially those relating to land compensation."

However, the current Government was determined to ensure handing over of the sale deed at the earliest. " There are quite a few who are yet to remit some dues to the TNHB. The moment that is cleared, they will get the sale deeds," he announced.

The Minister earlier received representations from TNHB allottees in this regard and reviewed the works here with TNHB Managing Director M. Rajaram and District Collector Neeraj Mittal.

He also admitted that the condition of various TNHB constructions, including the residential ones, was very bad and a number of flats had to be sealed because they were found unfit for human occupation. A high-level committee being set up would look into the various grievances of the TNHB residents and allottees.

Referring to the Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board tenements , the Minister admitted that a large number of them were in very bad shape. That was why the Government had decided to initiate three measures — demolishing the dilapidated ones and constructing new ones for the existing residents, repairing the existing ones, and constructing new ones meant for those in huts.

"The Government has embarked on the mission of making Chennai, Madurai and Coimbatore `huts free' for which it plans to construct about 1.11 lakh tenements in Chennai, 66,229 in Madurai and 12,320 in Coimbatore," Mr. Thangavelan said.

In order to instil a sense of ownership among the residents of the Slum Clearance Board tenements (which will ensure better maintenance), Mr. Thangavelan suggested that a nominal amount could be received from them as soon as the allotment was made and the tenement could be handed over to them as owners. " This is my personal opinion which I will place before the Chief Minister," he said.

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