TIRUPPUR: With the three-month deadline ending, 178 beneficiaries who were allotted houses at the Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board (TNURHDB) tenements in Solai Nagar in Avinashi did not take possession.
The 178 beneficiaries have paid the deposit amount of Rs 85,000 each, but did not take possession. This puts a question mark on the allotment process and the genuine status of the applicants. According to sources, if beneficiaries do not take possession of their allotted houses, or are found guilty of faking their status, the allotment would be cancelled.
This will take a lot of time. Officials would conduct inquiries and submit a report to the TNURHDB head office in Chennai. Legal opinion would be taken and some amount from the deposit would be deducted and the rest would be refunded. Officials will then allot the houses to other applicants.
A total of 448 housing units, each measuring 400 sq ft, are built in Solai Nagar. Of these, forty houses were allocated to sanitary workers, and draw of lots was held to choose the other beneficiaries. A total of 230 housing units have be taken and the remaining 178 find no takers.
A resident in the tenement said all houses have a hall, bedroom, kitchen and toilet, but they are too small. Speaking to TNIE, Syed Mohammed, treasurer of the residents association of TNURHDB-Solai Nagar said, “As per government rules, we have formed a residents’ association.
We collect Rs 200 every month as maintenance charges. There isn’t any drainage system in the housing units, which is shocking for us.” When questioned about the lack of drainage facility, a TNURHDB official said, “The whole of Avinashi does not have underground drainage system. We have installed a soaking pit in the tenements and filtered the water for the outlet. As the soaking pit is filled, it overflows.”
As for so many people not taking possession, “When it comes to allocation, we follow the lottery system, for both differently abled and public. The final section of housing units was allocated last month. Based on the terms of the sale, the housing units shouldn’t be sold within 10 years and mustn’t be given for tenants. Anyone violating conditions, they will be severely dealt with, including cancellation of housing units. A team of officials will inspect the houses within a few days.”