CHENNAI: Making a slew of announcements for housing, health, handloom and law departments under Rule 110 of the State Assembly, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Wednesday said the government would evolve a Tamil Nadu Urban Housing and Habitat Policy. The government will construct 1.98 lakh houses for various sections of people, strengthen infrastructure in government hospitals and increase rainy season assistance for pottery workers, he said.
Giving an outline of the new policy, he said reducing cost in constructing houses, ensuring sufficient housing for all, including economically weaker and low income groups, allotting lands for constructing eco-friendly houses at affordable cost, making available houses with basic facilities like power, water and road and improving infrastructure in urban areas in accordance with ever-changing socio-economic situation in urban areas were some key aspects of the policy.
Besides, the new policy would also aim at ensuring sustainable environment-friendly living in urban areas; bring in amendments to master plans and development control rules; implement single window system; laying a deadline for getting approval for building plan and layout; constructing houses keeping in mind safety of senior citizens and women and creating necessary infrastructure for the same and ensuring availability of rented houses in a hassle-free manner.
The Chief Minister said with the special fund being collected for issuing Transferable Development Rights certificates (under the Prime Minister Awas Yojana) and Gap Fund provided by the Tamil Nadu government, 6,874 houses would be built for slum dwellers at a cost of Rs 676.61 crore.
Similarly, under PMAY-Urban scheme, 1,86,308 houses would be built under the ‘beneficiary led construction category’, at a cost of Rs 5,589 crore. Further, during the current financial year, under the ‘affordable housing in partnership component category’, 14,828 multi-storey residential quarters would be built at a cost of `1,482.80 crore. For these two categories, the State government would contribute Rs 2,007.53 crore as grant.