THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan on Sunday termed the state government’s decision not to allocate funds to complete various housing projects in Kerala as ‘treacherous’.
“The government has to provide local self-government institutions at least Rs 1,100 crore to complete various housing projects, including the EMS Housing Scheme,” Kodiyeri said in a statement. “However, the state government has only approved a fund of Rs 300 crore for the projects, which is very meagre,” he said.
“According to the government, the allotted money can only be used for houses sanctioned in 2012-13 and 2013-14. The government has made such a move at a time when it is still to pay for the unfinished houses coming under the EMS scheme,” said Kodiyeri.
“Apart from this, the government has handed over the burden of the Indira Awaas Yojana to LSGs. Only Rs 70,000 has been allotted as Centre’s grant for this project aimed at building around 55,000 houses every year, leaving them to find the extra money required to execute the project.”
Of this, Rs 20,000 has to be met by the district panchayat, Rs 36,000 by the block panchayat and Rs 24,000 by the village panchayat. The government, that had pledged to allot the remaining Rs 50,000, has not kept its word,” he said.