Kerala: Project for homeless draws blank

ALAPPUZHA: Although the government had sanctioned Rs 4.74 crores in April for 79 homeless persons, including nine families, who are staying at New Lower Primary School, Purakad since 2012, red tape has tangled the much-touted housing project. Alappuzha, one of the worst-hit districts by annual sea erosion, faces a stumbling block when other coastal districts including Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram have already cleared the same project designed by the Fisheries Department.       

The funds were sanctioned by the government as a result of prolonged struggles by coastal folks who are still staying in different relief camps and rented homes. As per the project, the government had decided to disburse Rs 10lakh to each family for a three cents plot of land and house. C.P. Anirudhan, deputy director, fisheries department, said the project slowed as a result of anomalies in the process of issuing value certificate of the land that had to be given by the revenue department.  Also, the fisheries department had to carry out many procedures unlike other projects. The Revenue department has now issued value certificates of 20 beneficiaries. On the basis of this, the purchasing committee has been called to give final approval.

“Procedures were delayed because department officials were busy with Cyclone Ockhi relief works. However, the department is striving to implement the project as early as possible,” he said. As per the data available with the  Panchayat, in 2013, 8 families lost their houses while it was 11 in 2014. In 2015, it doubled to 39.  In last year, 32 families lost their houses. Last year, 10 families lost their houses. Though the government included 79 families in the beneficiary list, as many as 50 families remain homeless in Purakad and Ambalappuzha South and North Panchayaths.   

Asha C.Abraham, Taha- sildar, Ambalappuzha, said  the process of issuing value certificate of the land got delayed due the confusion over fair and market value of land. “Unlike other districts, the price of land especially in Ambalappuzha area is high. So we found it difficult to set a fair value. Nevertheless, the issue was resolved after the district collector came up with the solution in a recent meeting to go by market value that allows beneficiaries to choose freely at least three cents of land worth '6 lakh. Following this, many beneficiaries have reported with the market value of land they have chosen. The department will issue the value certificate only after physically assessing the status of the land. The Fisheries department has to do the rest,” she says.