CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government has urged the Centre to make a special allocation of Rs 26,575 crore for building 3.42 lakh dwelling units in 13 coastal districts of the State.The State has sought the sanction of funds for building dwelling units in coastal districts so as to ensure that the loss of lives, property and livelihood to families living in Kutcha houses is minimised.
As per a demand survey conducted by the Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board, the urban housing requirement assessed in 13 coastal districts is 5.85 lakh dwelling units. Of these, approval for construction of 1.89 lakh houses at a project cost of Rs 7,499 crore has been obtained from the Centre with the recommendation of the State Level Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee.
Interestingly, of the 5.85 lakh houses, a majority of dwelling units to be constructed for the poor fall in Thiruvallur, Chennai and Kancheepuram districts. In these three districts, the demand for housing is 2.53 lakh dwelling units. But only 52,707 dwelling units have been approved at a cost of Rs 3,051 crore. The total project outlay for the three districts works to around Rs 12,580 crore.
In Kanniyakumari, which was recently battered by Cyclone Ockhi, the demand for housing is 36,750. Of this, 22,266 have been approved at a cost of Rs 706 crore. Similarly, the demand survey has identified the requirement of 42,277 homes in Thoothukudi district, of which 18,377 homes have been sanctioned at a cost of Rs 558 crore.
Similarly in Nagapattinam district, the demand survey has identified the requirement of 22,059 houses of which only 7,001 homes have been approved at a cost of Rs 230.751 crore, an official source said.