PUDUCHERRY: Lieutenant Governor K Kailashnathan on Tuesday said that the Puducherry government is considering a proposal to release 10 per cent of the total housing subsidy of Rs 5 lakh as advance payment to beneficiaries under the Integrated Housing Scheme 2.0 to help them begin construction by laying the foundation. He made the remark at the launch of Integrated Perunthalaivar Kamaraj Centenary Housing Scheme (PKCHS) and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) 2.0 at Kamban Kalai Arangam.
The first instalment of `1 lakh each was distributed to 1,327 beneficiaries at the event, which was organised by the Urban and Rural Development Department and the Slum Clearance Board (SLB).
Kailashnathan said that the central government was providing Rs 2.25 lakh per beneficiary under PMAY 2.0, while the Puducherry government has been contributing Rs 2.75 lakh under the Kamaraj Housing Scheme, taking the total assistance to Rs 5 lakh for each house. He also said the government was examining the feasibility of waiving interest and penal interest on unutilised first instalments of subsidy released during the Covid-19 period.
“A house is not just walls and a roof. It provides security, dignity and hope for the future. With rapid growth in employment, healthcare and education, housing has become a necessity in urban areas,” he said, adding that the scheme would play a key role in Puducherry’s development and contribute to the prime minister’s vision of a developed India by 2047.
Chief Minister N Rangasamy said that during the previous Congress–DMK regime, many beneficiaries who had received a subsidy of `40,000 could not construct houses, and their land documents were deposited with the government. Interest and penal interest were later imposed on them.
He further said the centre had recently informed the Puducherry government that it could take a decision on waiving the interest and penal interest, and accordingly, the government decided to waive them. Beneficiaries would get back their land documents after repaying only the principal subsidy amount received, he added.
The CM said that all announced welfare schemes would be implemented before the elections and criticised the Congress for politicising the issue.
Assembly speaker R Selvam, ministers K Lakshminarayanan and PNR Thirumurugan, deputy speaker P Rajavelu, MLAs Anibal Kennedy, V Arumugam, R Bhaskar and U Lakshmikanthan, chief secretary Dr Sarath Chauhan, secretary R Kesavan, PWD chief engineer K Veera Selvam and SLB CEO B Ravichandran were present.