They will get the same flat number in the new building
— Photo: G. Moorthy
ALLAYING FEARS: Collector S.S. Jawahar interacting with an occupant of the Slum Clearance Board tenements in Madurai on Sunday.
MADURAI: When a team of officials, led by Madurai Collector S.S. Jawahar, went to the Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board tenements that were in a dilapidated condition at Avaniapuram here on Sunday, the occupants were reluctant to vacate.
Their apprehension was whether they would be allotted houses after construction of new tenements at the same site. Even as officials showed a Government Order that made it clear that the occupants of unsafe tenements would be given Rs. 8,000 in ex-gratia a year and that a house would be allotted to them after construction of new buildings, the occupants were doubtful.
To allay the fear, Mr. Jawahar hit upon the idea of giving each occupant a written affidavit. He also got them to sign an undertaking, accepting the terms and conditions.
From the government side, the affidavit was signed by the Board’s Executive Engineer. It assured the occupant that he/she would be allotted the same flat number and floor on construction of new tenements. Within hours, 300 of the 444 families signed the declaration agreeing to vacate. The others would be covered on Monday.
Bank accounts
“Steps have been taken to open bank accounts for all occupants free of cost. The ex-gratia will be deposited in their accounts. After construction of new tenements, we have decided to allot houses in the name of the housewife,” Mr. Jawahar said.
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