Rs 117 crore for slum rehab projects

Chennai: Chief minister Jaya­lali­thaa has sanctioned a sum of Rs 117.15 crore for the Sl­um Clearance Board tow­ards construction of 1,472 homes for rehabilitation of slum-dwellers and other poor families residing at Kakanji Nagar in ward 96 of the Chennai corporati­on, a release said.

The multi-storeyed tenements will be constructed on the outskirts of the city at Athipattu near Amb­attur.  The project has also received an additional Rs  42.68 crore as part of the state government fund. “The individual homes will have a total area of 271 square feet with two rooms, a kitchen, balcony and a toilet area,” slum cl­e­arance board officials said in a release.

The Slum Clearance Board is also engaged in the construction of an ad­ditional 8,048 multi-sto­reyed homes at Kan­nagi Nagar near Okkiyam Tho­ra­ipakkam in addition to the existing 15,656 homes already constructed at the site and have been handed over to the poor and roadside dwellers from across the city.

The ambitious Kannagi Nagar project had been taken to clear illegal roadside tenements across the city and thousands of families who lived in huts and roadside tenements were gradually moved to the new homes built at Kannagi Nagar, the release added.

Due to the sudden surge in population due to the relocation of slum dwe­llers from across the city, the state government has taken adequate measures to ensure that these people have enough transport facilities to commute to the city for work.

“Hence, the existing bus terminus in Kannagi Na­gar is being expanded to accommodate the parking of 20 buses. An administrative office and a time keeper’s office will also be set up soon. The chief minister has allocated Rs 2 crore towards the expansion of the bus terminus,” state officials said in a release.