The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Five local bodies get funds to upgrade slums

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Oct 15, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Five local bodies get funds to upgrade slums

K. Lakshmi

Money granted under Basic Services for Urban Poor scheme

Ambattur municipality recently received about Rs.4.74 crore
Tiruvottiyur Municipality has been allocated Rs.1.70 crore

CHENNAI: Five local bodies around Chennai have been allotted funds for the Basic Services for Urban Poor (BSUP) scheme, under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, to upgrade slums in their areas.

The funds, provided to the Ambattur, Kathivakkam, Tiruvottiyur, Madhavaram and Alandur municipalities, is to improve the infrastructure and housing facilities in the slums.

The Commissionerate of Municipal Administration, nodal agency in the State for management of the funds, released the money to them.

The local bodies in Ambattur, Madhavaram and Alandur would make use of the funds either to construct new houses or repair the existing ones in the slums, while those at Tiruvottiyur and Kathivakkam would utilise the money to improve infrastructure, such as roads and streetlights.

Slum upgradation

The Ambattur municipality recently received about Rs.4.74 crore towards the housing facilities in the slum areas.

An official of the municipality said that of the 68 slums in Ambattur, five settlements, namely Oragadam Colony, Periyar Nagar, MKB Nagar, Gangaiamman Nagar and Kalaivanar Nagar had been chosen in the first phase of the slum upgradation project.

Grant

A grant of Rs.72,000 would be provided to each of the applicants, in possession of original land documents, for construction of the dwelling units.

Minimum built-up area

The proposed construction must have a minimum built-up area of 250 square feet. The beneficiaries have to bear the remaining cost of the construction, the official said.

The process for selecting the applicants for construction of 470 houses in the slum areas of Ambattur Municipality would begin soon. About Rs.40,000 would be provided as grant for renovation of houses.

The civic body in Ambattur also plans to develop basic infrastructure, including underground drainage facility, streetlights and roads with the funds.

The Tiruvottiyur Municipality has been allocated Rs.1.70 crore under the BSUP scheme.

Bids invited for laying roads

A municipal official said that bids had been invited for laying roads in 13 slums, including Thyagarajapuram, Tiruchinangkuppam and Ondikuppam, along the Ennore Express Highway and the Tiruvottiyur High Road. The work is expected to begin next month.

Tsunami victims

The Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board is already involved in construction of about 5,200 houses in Tiruvottiyur as part of the tsunami victims’ rehabilitation project.

The civic body has therefore decided to improve the infrastructure in the slum areas, he added.

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