Massive housing scheme on the anvil: CM

By Our Staff Reporter

PONDICHERRY, JAN. 23. The Chief Minister of Pondicherry, Mr. P. Shanmugham, today announced that a massive housing scheme to cover hutdwellers and homeless people, would be implemented under a joint project of the Pondicherry Government and Union Housing Ministry. The Pondicherry Government would place the master plan before the Centre in the next few days.

Addressing reporters here today, Mr. Shanmugham said the scheme, being finalised under a Master Plan for Houses for all, would coordinate plans and mobilise the funds now available with various departments and statutory boards.

Nearly 1 lakh houses would have to be constructed according to an estimate and this would be done in a phased manner, the Chief Minister said. At the rate of nearly 35,000 houses annually, the project would be completed in three years. Each house was estimated to cost Rs. 40,000.

When asked if he had held discussions with the AIADMK general secretary, Ms. Jayalalitha, during his recent Chennai visit on sharing of seats in the Union Territory in the forthcoming Assembly elections, Mr. Shanmugham said he had paid only a courtesy call on the leader. The seat sharing and constituencies would be decided by the AICC(I) president, Ms. Sonia Gandhi.

Mr. Shanmugham said the Centre has given the green signal to the Union Territory Administration to go ahead with its plan to requisition technical and financial support of the French Government for the Rs. 234-crore drinking water and drainage project.

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Section  : Southern States
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