CHENNAI: As part of the state government’s initiative to create a ‘Hut-free Tamil Nadu’, 8 lakh concrete houses will be constructed in rural areas by 2030, said Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu in his budget speech on Monday. The scheme, named ‘Kalaignarin Kanavu Illam’ will be implemented at a cost of Rs 3,500 crore. In the first phase, one lakh new houses will be built with each unit costing Rs 3.5 lakh in the coming year.
“In a recent survey conducted by our government, it was revealed that around 8 lakh huts still exist in the state. These people will be provided with plots, in case they are landless, or with funds to construct new houses,” the minister said.
Asked how they intend to finance the scheme, Principal Secretary to Government, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department P Senthil Kumar said more details will be clear only after the scheme guidelines are framed. Official sources said that as of now, the scheme won’t be merged with other existing schemes.
V Ramachandran, a social activist based in Madurai who works for housing for the poor, said under existing schemes, the process of finalising beneficiaries takes around two years. “If the beneficiary approaches the district collector with a petition, it then goes to the Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Board and a list of applicants is then sent back to the collector. After this, the VAO inspects the area of residence of the applicants and reports back to the collector and a final list is compiled by the habitat development board,” he added.
This process is initiated only after the structures are completed and by the time the beneficiaries are finalised, the structures will begin to deteriorate due to non-maintenance and non-usage, he said.
Apart from the Kanavu Illam scheme, the finance minister announced another scheme for ‘rescuing around 5 lakh of the poorest families’ by providing wholesome government assistance in an integrated manner.
Under the Chief Minister’s Thayumanavar scheme, vulnerable sections of society, including destitute, elderly persons living alone, single-parent families, orphaned children, people with mental illnesses, persons with disabilities, and families with children requiring special assistance will be identified.
“In addition to fulfilling their basic needs, their requirements concerning education, employment opportunities, skill development and housing will be met under this scheme,” the minister said.
The identification of the poorest of the poor families will be carried out through the convergence of official databases, field inspections, community participation, and gram sabha sessions. A total of Rs 27,922 crore has been allocated for the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department in the budget.
Thayumanavar scheme
Under CM’s Thayumanavar scheme, vulnerable sections of society, including destitute, elderly persons living alone, single-parent families, orphaned children, people with mental illnesses, persons with disabilities, and families with children requiring special assistance will be identified.
