Rs.19.96 cr. for developing Tiruchi slums

TIRUCHI: Thirty-six slums in the city will get a facelift soon with the construction of new houses, upgrading of existing ones and improvements to basic amenities under the Integrated Housing and Slum Development Programme (IHSDP).

The Department of Municipal Administration has recently issued an order releasing Rs.19.96 crore to the Tiruchi Corporation under the programme.

Corporation has identified the slums to be developed from the 286 slums here. As per tentative plans, about 1,208 houses would be developed. Of this, 1,147 houses would be built anew and 61 others would be upgraded. The Corporation would spend about Rs.15.15 crore for the construction and the remaining sum would be used for improvement of basic amenities. Beneficiaries under the scheme would get a subsidy of Rs.68,000 for new houses, which would cost about Rs.1.30 lakh. The Corporation has planned to go for tie-ups with voluntary organisations or credit link them with banks for raising the remaining sum, including the beneficiary contribution of Rs.30,000, Commissioner T.T. Balsamy told The Hindu. For upgrading of houses, beneficiaries would have to contribute Rs.4,000 out of the estimate of Rs.40,000 a unit.

A team from the Commissionerate of Municipal Administration visited Tiruchi on Friday andmade a presentation on the development models to be adopted under the programme.