Rain-hit slum dwellers get new houses

The government would provide food and water for three days in addition to shifting charges of  Rs 5,000 per family and subsistence allowance for 1 year at Rs 2,500 per month to the resettled families. Their ration cards would be changed to the new addresses, while youth would be provided job-oriented training and recruitment camps would also be conducted for them. As part of the mission, the government in its initial phase has decided to shift 1,115 families from the Aatrumaanagar and another 1195 families from Thideernagar near the Marmalong bridge in Saidapet to the new Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board tenements at Thoraipakkam and Perumpakkam on the OMR.

Corporation officials went around these areas announcing the names of beneficiaries. While some were happy that they were finally moving to pucca multi roomed houses with toilet and bathing facilities, a few others were worried that now they have to look for new avenues to eke out a living after moving to the new locality. The new multi-storeyed tenements would have concrete roads, lighting, drainage, primary, middle and higher secondary schools, fair price shop, primary health centre, hospital and bus facilities. Kannadasan (35), working as a cook in a hotel on OMR, is all smiles as the new house is near his work spot. 

“Earlier I used to travel daily from Saidapet which I need not do anymore It is going to help me save both on time and money.” Vanishree, a class X student, feels that relocation would make it difficult for her to attend tuition classes at a time when the board examinations were nearing. A student of Garodia HSS, she said, “Officials have offered only a bus pass to come to school. However, the timing and distance prevent me from attending special coaching,” she added.

 According to a corporation official, arrangements were made to shift the beneficiaries through 25 mini lorries hired specially for the purpose. Depending on the household goods a family owned – refrigerators, washing machines, mixers, fans and bureaus – 3 or 5 families were bundled into a mini lorry for their trip to Thoraipakkam. 

Though officials demolished structures in these slums on the banks of the Adyar, special effort was necessary to ensure that the cleared space is not encroached again.

Promise Kept