Regional
TN plan to make state 'slum-free' by 2013

Chennai (PTI): The Tamil Nadu government planned to make the state 'Slum-free' by 2013 and was serious about removing encroachments, a top official said on Tuesday.

Slum-dwellers would be accommodated in 45,000 houses which the state planned to build, R Sellamuthu, Tamil Nadu Housing Secretary said at a Confederation of Indian Industry conference here.

Earlier, the CII unveiled a proposal at the conference to make Chennai a 'Megapolitan City' by redefining the Marakkanam, Arakkonam and Pulicat (MAP) region.

The MAP would be a 'model city master plan' to be replicated in the rest of the world, the proposal said.

The proposal based on a study by the CII said Chennai is surrounded by many micro satellites or potential urban centres and MAP could be a solution to infrastructure problems, create more employment opportunities and affordable living conditions with world class amenities and guarantee increased revenue to the government.

It said MAP could help sustain ecology, develop a balanced ecosystem and protect the agriculture potential areas, increase GDP productivity, attract FDIs to the tune of about USD 15 billion and make the state No.1 destination for investments and employment opportunities in India.

Marakkanam is a panchayat town in Villupuram district, Arakkonam is a mid-sized town in Vellore district and Pulicat is a town in the Tiruvallur district.

The MAP region will consist of other hubs like Kanchipuram, Maduranthakam, Sriperumbudur and Ennore, with each of them having four to five sub nodes connected to them. Each of these are to be linked by a major high speed corridor with eight to 10 lanes, and will also be linked by a metro rail system.

Regional

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