CHENNAI: Minister for Housing and Urban Development B Rajkumar told the residents of Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board (TNUHDB) tenements at Srinivasapuram that they would first be moved out of the crumbling structures and would be accommodated in temporary shelters until the permanent buildings are in place.
Chairing a consultation meeting with officials and residents at TNUHDB headquarters near Vivekananda House, Rajkumar urged them to remain united and vacate their tenements before the northeast monsoon, citing incidents like collapse of staircases, roofs and sunshades. He said the lives and livelihoods of people are the priority of the TVK government, and reconstruction of the buildings would be taken up in three phases.
The meeting comes days after TNIE, on October 1, published an article, ‘Balconies gone, it is double the danger now’, highlighting the plight of residents living in the deteriorated structures.
K Bharathi, president of South Indian Fishermen Welfare Association, who attended the meeting, told TNIE the minister had assured them the tenements would be demolished and rebuilt at the same location, and temporary shelters would be provided in the interim.
Families were also given the option of moving temporarily to TNUHDB resettlement sites at Perumbakkam or Ennore. “But the residents prefer temporary shelters within Srinivasapuram,” Bharathi said. Rajkumar allegedly said high-rise buildings of 10 to 14 floors would be constructed, which residents opposed, seeking buildings of no more than G+4 floors.
“We are ready to cooperate if temporary shelters are provided. But if the government continues with the proposal for high-rise buildings, there will be resistance from residents in vacating the existing tenements,” Bharathi said.