Puducherry: Chief Minister N. Rangasamy on Sunday announced that the Perunthalaivar Kamaraj Housing Subsidy Scheme evolved for conversion of huts into concrete houses in slums would be adopted with immediate effect to benefit the fire-affected families in Davidpet in Uppalam here.

Mr. Rangasamy, who was out of station on Saturday when the accident occurred rendering over 300 families homeless, visited the spot around 1 a.m. on Sunday. He told The Hindu that he had seen the extent of havoc .

He said that he had already announced in the Assembly that the residents of Davidpet would be extended the housing subsidy of Rs.1 lakh a family under the scheme. This amount would be issued as the applications for the grant of subsidy for Davidpet residents were being approved fast.

He said that around 375 families were affected by the fire mishap. The families would be sanctioned permission to construct houses on the site belonging to a temple where they had already had their huts.

In the meanwhile, functionaries of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), headed by its convener R.V. Janakiraman visited the hamlet on Sunday.

Mr. Janakiraman and treasurer of the party here Annibal Kennedy contributed Rs 50,000 each to provide assistance to the victims. Mr. Janakiraman, in a release, said that the Government should launch relief measures on a war footing.

There should be no redtapism in finalising assistance to the people, he said and added that there could be no room for adoption of usual bureaucratic yardsticks during exigencies like fire mishap. He appealed to voluntary organisations and philanthropists to extend their help to Davidpet residents.

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