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Steps will be taken “for welfare of fishermen”

— Photo: T. Singaravelou

STONE LAID: Chief Minister N. Rangasamy pressing the button to lay the foundation stone for the housing project for the tsunami-hit at Periya Kalapet village on Monday.

PUDUCHERRY: Chief Minister N. Rangasamy on Monday has said his Government will expedite works related to construction of houses in the tsunami-hit areas. Mr. Rangasamy also promised that necessary steps would be taken to promote welfare of the fishermen in the Union Territory.

Shortly after participating in the ‘bhoomi pooja’ and laying the foundation stone for construction of 1,600 houses at a cost of Rs.43 crore at Kalapet for the people belonging to the coastal villages of Ganapathychettikulam, Periyakalapet, Chinnakalapet and Pillaichavady, he said the Government had been implementing schemes for fishermen and others to meet their aspirations.

In the post-tsunami era, the Government decided to construct 7,567 houses for the affected people in safe places in Karaikal and Puducherry, he said, adding that around 3,000 of them had been completed so far through non-Governmental organisations. Steps had been taken to ensure early construction of the remaining houses, he added.

The State Government would strive for getting more Central assistance to meet the housing requirements of the tsunami-affected, Mr. Rangasamy said. He appealed to the Members of Parliament from the Union Territory to get adequate funds from the Centre. Referring to problems in certain tsunami-hit villages, where housing projects could not be taken up, he said the Government would come forward to provide other facilities.

Referring to Rajya Sabha Member V. Narayanasamy’s plea for providing shore-based facilities such as ice plant-cum-cold storage unit and sheds to keep fishing net, as part of the proposed housing complex at Periya Kalapet, he said the Government would fulfil such requirements under the Rs.119 crore World Bank-aided tsunami rehabilitation project thorough the implementation agency concerned. Education Minister M. O. H. F. Shajahan said the site chosen for the housing project was originally earmarked for establishing an IT park.

Once the project was completed, the housing complex would become a township having facilities including a community hall. Shore-based facilities such as fish-processing centre and cold-storage units would be provided there with a view to offering employment to the fisher folk, he added.

Appreciating the State Government for implementing relief and rehabilitation programmes in the tsunami-hit areas, Rajya Sabha Member V. Narayanasamy said the housing project should be entrusted to a competent agency.

Adequate care must be taken to ensure that each dwelling unit had sufficient space with basic facilities.

Lok Sabha Member M. Ramadoss said the proposed project would be satisfactory to all the beneficiaries. It would be a pleasant experience for the displaced people of the four villages to live in the new complex, he added.

District Collector G .Theva Neethi Dhas and local body functionaries spoke.

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