How to pay 1.5 lakhs when we are left with no job in this Covid pandemic ? – teynampet slum clearance board residents !
We have published a detailed article on the KP Park slum clearance board issue in Pulianthope, Chennai where 864 residents were asked to pay 1.5 lakhs each as a part of residents contribution to get the new houses.
In this scenario, another issue has been raised claiming that the slum clearance board residents in teynampet, Chennai are also asked to pay 1.5 lakh rupees. The residents are questioning how to pay such a huge amount when they do not have any jobs in this pandemic situation.
One of the residents said Youturn, “We were provided with 8000 rupees to leave our house saying that new houses will be built for us when we were living in a housing board near Aalaiyamman temple in teynampet 5 years back. When the construction works are over we were asked to pay 80,000 rupees. But now it is informed that we should pay 1.5 lakh rupees to get new houses. They have committed to providing new houses in two years but it’s already 5 years now. Most of the people here are cobblers, Coolies and construction workers. Apart from the houses for 250 families, there are houses around 1000 in number. The officials have not accepted our request of receiving either 1.5 lakhs or 80000 as informed earlier only from the newly added 1000 residents.
We have given a petition to the MLA. He responded that he will discuss and let us know since this happened in the ADMK regime. The officials have informed us that loans from the bank will be arranged for 1.5 lakh rupees. But we are running our families with what we are left with since I have lost my job in the pandemic situation. It would be difficult for us to pay EMI every month to the banks in this situation. Instead of this if we are asked to pay the 1.5 lakh rupees as instalments to the government, then that would be of a greater help”.
When we spoke to an official in the teynampet slum clearance board he asked us to speak to the official of that concerned place. And when we tried reaching another official, he redirected us to another person and in the end, we were left with no answers.
Old dilapidated houses in the Chennai region were evicted a few years back and new houses are being built. Since the slum clearance board apartments are built under PM’s housing scheme 1.5 lakh rupees is to be contributed by the residents where the remaining shares of 1.5 lakh will be contributed by the central government and 7 lakhs by the state government.
Most of the people waiting for new houses are Coolies who are already suffering a lot economically in the Covid situation. Slum clearance board Minister Anbarasan said that thousands of dilapidated houses in Chennai are being evicted and new houses will be built in the next 5 years. He also said that it will be informed about residents contributions. However, it would be good if proper arrangements are made by the government for the residents who are waiting for 5 years.
