State assures accommodation for those vacating TNHB tenements

The assurance came in response to the demand made by the Leader of Opposition MK Stalin who urged the government to re-allot houses for the employees vacating their rented TNHB residences in Peters Colony in Royapettah and Todd Hunter Nagar in Saidapet.

“The employees should be allocated houses in the same scheme area and not elsewhere,” Stalin reiterated. Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, who replied to Stalin, observed that the State has identified as many as 17 of its projects by the TNHB as unfit for living and have issued notices to its occupants.

Observing that the government was offering rental housing at a lower cost for its employees under Tamil Nadu Government Servants Rental Housing Scheme (TNGRHS), Panneerselvam said the employees have not vacated their accommodations despite the notice being issued.

“We have employees who remain in the house for nearly 4 – 5 years after receiving the notice. We cannot force them out and they keep delaying the handing over. Considering the plight of the buildings, they have to be razed down and reconstructed,” he said.

“When the project is complete, we always re-allot tenements in the same scheme area from where they had been vacated. For instance, we have constructed as many as 606 tenements in Tirumangalam and have allotted as many as 584 under the category of re-allotment in the same scheme area,” Pannerselvam reasoned.

During the question hour, Mylapore MLA R Nataraj sought the government to construct flats under TNGRHS and self-finance scheme for public and commercial complexes under redevelopment scheme in Foreshore Estate.

He also sought the government to review the Court orders directing the government to demolish 259 houses south of Buckingham canal in RA Puram as those buildings are not on the bank of the canal. Acceding to his request, Panneerselvam said that the government would file a review before the appropriate court.