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Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Housing scheme: council seeks enhanced assistance

Special Correspondent

Corporation has failed in implementing the project, says UDF

UDF trying to torpedo a scheme which benefited the weaker sections: LDF
More than 6,000 beneficiaries identified for the scheme in the city: Mayor

Thiruvananthapuram: The city corporation council, which met here on Friday, adopted a resolution urging the government to enhance the financial assistance for beneficiaries of the EMS housing scheme and continue support for the project aimed at providing affordable houses for the homeless.

Moving the official resolution on the issue, V.S. Padmakumar, chairman of the standing committee on Works, accused the UDF of trying to torpedo the scheme that had made significant achievement in housing the weaker sections. He said the statements by Minister for Panchayats M.K. Muneer and Minister for Rural Development K.C. Joseph had led to public concern about the fate of the project that was conceived to supplement Centrally sponsored schemes like the IAY (Indira Awaz Yojana) and the BSUP (Basic Services for the Urban Poor).

Pointing out that not even 10 houses could be completed under the scheme in the capital city, the Opposition UDF accused the Corporation of abject failure in implementing the project. UDF leaders said the proposed land bank for the scheme had failed to materialise and the beneficiaries were left high and dry.

They said the assistance provided for constructing houses was woefully inadequate. Admitting that the poor availability of land was a major hurdle to the project, the treasury benches called on the government to refrain from scrapping the project on political grounds.

Mayor K. Chandrika said more than 6,000 beneficiaries, including 4619 landless families, had been identified for the EMS scheme in the city. The Corporation, she said, had disbursed Rs.1.3 crore as assistance for construction of houses and purchasing land.

Mr.Padmakumar said the prohibitive price of land in the city was forcing the Corporation to hunt for property in suburban areas for mass housing projects.

Opposition councillors continued to taunt the ruling front with allegations of poor implementation. They said councillors were under siege from applicants waiting to get houses under the scheme.

UDF leader K.Maheswaran Nair said the poor performance of the scheme was an affront to the memory of the former Chief Minister E.M.S. Namboodiripad after whom it was named. He said it was better to scrap the scheme that had fallen far short of the objectives.

BJP leader P.Ashok kumar called on the LDF leadership to seek additional funds from the government and enhance the outlay for the project to match the steep land price and soaring cost of construction.

The resolution was put to vote and adopted by 53 to 35.

Another official resolution seeking the council's consent to implement a High Court order on issuing licence for a street vendor was referred to the government.

Moving the resolution, the Mayor said the court order ran counter to an earlier verdict prohibiting the use of roads or footpaths for other purposes. She said Corporation's counsel had advised against filing an appeal for clarification on the issue.

The finance standing committee had proposed that the issue be brought to the notice of the government, she added.

During the discussion on the issue, councillors across the political spectrum spoke out against legitimising street vendors. Poojapura councillor K.Maheswaran Nair said the Corporation risked violating laws if it decided to go ahead with issuing licences for hawkers.

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