Housing unit beneficiaries demand smaller equated monthly instalments

A group of residents from Rajiv Nagar on Monday petitioned the district administration demanding that they be allowed to pay ‘minimum cost’ in monthly instalments for the Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board’s (TNSCB) houses. After deciding to evict those living on the banks of water bodies, the state government was taking steps to provide alternate houses, which would be constructed by TNSCB. The board had come forward to allot houses in a tenement being constructed at Palavanjipalayam near Veerapandi. As many as 48 families staying at Rajiv Nagar near Kurunji Nagar, on the banks of SangiliPallam and 115 families residing on the bank of Jamunai stream were assured tenements there. “TNSCB officials had told those families that they should pay 1.15lakh for the houses in three instalments. They should pay the first instalment of Rs 35,000 in three days, otherwise, they may not get the houses. Whether they vacant the present houses or not, the authorities will take steps to evict them within April,” said T Jayabal, CPM Tirupur south city secretary. “While most of the families were either below poverty line (BPL) or a little above BPL, they were in a position to afford it. But there were others who would not be able to pay the full cost in three instalments,” he said. “Earlier, the government had allowed such beneficiaries to pay the cost in monthly instalments like Rs 250 per month for 20 years in Tirupur. The board should come forward to announce the scheme to those families also,” he added. But a senior TNSCB official refused to budge. “It would cost Rs 8 akh for us to construct a tenement, with contribution of Rs 6lakh and Rs 1.5lakh from the state and the Central governments respectively. The state government has directed the beneficiaries to pay the minimum cost in three instalments. With facilities including community hall, library, separate drinking water scheme, the government chipped in to provide those houses. So, the people should be ready to pay the minimum cost,” he told media.