Community Development

Following Prideasia, fate of UT slum rehabilitation project hangs in balance

Wednesday, 04 August 2010 11:47 administrator

Indian Express 04.08.2010

Following Prideasia, fate of UT slum rehabilitation project hangs in balance

Express News Service Tags : UT slum rehabilitation project Posted: Wed Aug 04 2010, 01:55 hrs

Chandigarh: The ongoing slum rehabilitation project of the Chandigarh Administration has received another blow, with the government depositing Rs 210 crore, earned from Parsvnath Developers in lieu of the Prideasia IT Habitat project, into the Consolidated Fund of India.

The move comes nearly four months after the special audit ordered by the Ministry of Home Affairs highlighted gross irregularities in the functioning of the Chandigarh Administration and observed that the money be immediately deposited into the account of Consolidated Fund of India.

With this, the slum rehabilitation project has slipped even further with UT now losing out on funds. The total cost of the ambitious scheme is estimated to be around Rs 1,200 crore. Of this, the Chandigarh Administration has already spent nearly Rs 360 crore from the money deposited by Parsvnath Developers Limited in lieu of the Prideasia project.

Another Rs 225 crore has been incurred on the project, which the Administration got under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) scheme.

According to officials, two instalments amounting to Rs 200 crore are still awaited under JNNURM for completion of the project. The Administration will, however, still fall short of nearly Rs 415 crore to complete the project.

Secretary (Finance) Sanjay Kumar said, “Depositing Rs 210 crore in the Consolidated Fund of India is a kind of an account settlement, which the auditors wanted us to do. We have done that now. As far as getting money for completing the slum rehabilitation project is concerned, we are again going to raise a demand for funds with the Central government. As the Planning Commission has approved our demand of additional Rs 190 crore; we shall be requesting the Ministry of Home Affairs to also grant us some funds, so that the project can be completed.” The pace of the project has definitely been hit after Prideasia got stalled and with the money being deposited to the Consolidated Fund of India; but it is still on track. I think, we shall be able to pull it through,” Sanjay Kumar added.

The Chandigarh Administration was to earn nearly Rs 821 crore from the deal with Parsvnath Devleopers on the Prideasia IT Habitat project. However, ever since the project hit a wall, the government has been left craving for funds. At present, the Prideasia project is under arbitration. Though Chandigarh Administration had issued a notice of ‘termination of contract on the project’ and ‘forfeiture of the entire deposit’ to Parsvnath Developers; the arbitration tribunal has put a stay on the termination and forfeiture of deposit.

Last Updated on Wednesday, 04 August 2010 11:48

Corporation finalises rehabilitation package

Monday, 02 August 2010 10:37 administrator

The New Indian Express 02.08.2010

Corporation finalises rehabilitation package

KOCHI: The Kochi Corporation has decided to provide a special rehabilitation package which includes 1.5 cents of land each in the Cheranalloor panchayat for the rehabilitation of families which were evicted in connection with various development projects undertaken by the civic body.

The special rehabilitation package will be beneficial to the families evicted from Perandoor, Palluruthy Konam, Palluruthy Anganvady, Manthra Canal and the Goshree bridge.

"Along with the land, the Corporation will also provide Rs 2.45 lakh each for constructing a house. Of the Rs 2.45 lakh, Rs 1 lakh will be raised from the Land Tenure Fund, Rs 70,000 from the Corporation's Rehabilitation Fund and Rs 75,000 will be allotted under the EMS Housing scheme," Mayor Mercy Williams said. The Mayor added that the possession certificate of the land would be retained by the Corporation.

Earlier, the Kochi Corporation Council, which met the other day, had also given approval for the formation of the Mayor's rehabilitation fund. The rehabilitation fund will be utilised mainly to bridge the gap in funding various rehabilitation packages, various housing projects, the betterment of water supply to waterstarved areas and the improving basic services to the urban poor.

The fund will also be used to rehabilitate the street vendors who are evicted from various parts of the city. Contributions will be accepted from donors, including public, private sector, NRIs and other individuals towards generating the Mayor's Rehabilitation Fund.

Last Updated on Monday, 02 August 2010 10:39

2,072 flats wait for occupants, for HUDA can’t decide on who should inaugurate

Thursday, 10 June 2010 11:48 administrator

Indian Express 10.06.2010

2,072 flats wait for occupants, for HUDA can’t decide on who should inaugurate

The flats have been lying vacant since 2008. Jaipal Singh

Panchkula:

For two years now, two housing societies in Sector 26-A and Abheypur, Industrial Area, Phase I, have been ready. But the 2,000 families from Azad Colony haven’t moved in yet.

Reason: The societies haven’t been inaugurated.

The Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA), which has constructed the societies for rehabilitation of slum dwellers, hasn’t been able to decide who should inaugurate these. And the list of dignitaries has only two names — Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Union Minister for Poverty Alleviation Kumari Selja.

According to sources, the flats were set to be inaugurated in early 2009 by Hooda, but the plan was shelved at the last moment in absence of a consensus between local Congress leaders and HUDA.

While HUDA was keen that the societies be inaugurated by the CM, a faction of Congress leaders said Selja, being the Dalit face of Congress in the state, should do so.

Sources said even an inaugural stone bearing Hooda and Selja’s names was placed in Sector 26, but it was removed.

“There is no such issue between the CM and the Union minister. We are not aware that the flats have not been handed over because of some alleged differences between the two. There have been times when Hooda and Selja have shared a common platform on functions,” Sunder Pal, media adviser to Hooda, said. “Being the CM of the state, his presence is mandatory and I do not think Selja has any objection to it.”

Dr Ajay Choudhary, officer on special duty to Selja talked on similar lines: “There are no problems between the two leaders. The delay in handing over the flats must be due to some official delay.”

Later, Choudhary said he checked with HUDA officials and they said “lack of response from beneficiaries” was the reason for the delay. HUDA officials confirmed this.

An official said June 6 had been fixed as the deadline to receive applications from the beneficiaries, and this would be the “final call”.

“We did not receive many applications for the flats, as some people were demanding plots and did not show much interest in the flats,” Estate Office Dr S S Saini said. “Finally, we have fixed a deadline and would soon start the process of handing over the flats.”

The beneficiaries, however, deny that they are not interested; they “are keen to move into the flats at the earliest”.

The 2,072 two-room flats with kitchen and toilet have been constructed as part of the Jawaharlal Nehru

National Urban Renewal Mission.

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