The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Coimbatore News : Councillors upset at changes to housing scheme

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Wednesday, Oct 31, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore

Councillors upset at changes to housing scheme

Special Correspondent

— PHOTO: S. SIVA SARAVANAN

FOR THE POOR: Members of the Communist parties staging a demonstration near the Coimbatore Corporation Council on Tuesday to demand houses within the city for slum dwellers.

COIMBATORE: Members of various parties in the Coimbatore Corporation Council were upset on Tuesday at the changes made to the project for Basic Services to Urban Poor that aims to provide houses for slum dwellers in the city.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) member C. Padmanabhan pointed out at the Council meeting that the plan now was to provide the funds to the beneficiaries at various stages of construction instead of the Corporation building the houses. “Who made these changes to the project without the approval of the Council?,” he asked. Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam members, including the Leader of the Opposition, V.N. Udayakumar, claimed that they had no information about the change.

Officials explained that the change was made after a circular from the Commissioner of Municipal Administration. Communist Party of India councillor K. Purushothaman said it would not be possible for the slum dwellers to manage both the funds and the construction. Demanding an explanation as to who took the decision to change the plan, Mr. Purushothaman said that the Council had been cheated because it had not been informed of it. Before the start of the Council meeting, members of the CPI(M) and CPI staged a demonstration to demand proper housing for conservancy workers within the city.

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