TN housing scheme for 2 million families

TN housing scheme for 2 million families
The Times of India, January 7, 2010, Page 14

CHENNAI: When it comes to proclaiming itself as the ultimate welfare state, the DMK government in Tamil Nadu is really pushing the envelope. In the annual governor’s address delivered in the assembly by Surjit Singh Barnala, it announced an ambitious housing scheme for the rural poor to cover more than two million families and introduced free professional education to students hailing from families that have not produced a graduate so far. Both schemes are the first of their kind in the country, officials said.

Having deepened its social base by supplying rice at Rs 1 a kg to ration card holders, waiving farm loans, distributing free television sets and introducing a health insurance scheme for life-saving treatment, the 44-month-old Karunanidhi regime announced more schemes aimed at strengthening its popularity for the fourth consecutive year. This year’s policy pronouncement was significant for CM personally as he has indicated that he may shed his administrative burden later this year.

The housing scheme aimed at a hut-free Tamil Nadu targets nearly 50% of the state’s rural residents by envisaging conversion of mud huts with thatched roofs into concrete dwellings. ‘‘Dalits and most backward classes will greatly benefit from this,’’ said a senior official. The rural development department will spend Rs 1,800 crore in the first year.