The Hindu 04.08.2010
Multi-storey tenements for conservancy workers in city planned
Special Correspondent
BETTER TIMES AHEAD:These tiled-roof houses for conservancy workers will be replaced by multi-storey tenements in the city. —
COIMBATORE: The Coimbatore Corporation has planned to construct multi-storey tenements for its conservancy workers in the city. The civic body had indicated a couple of years ago that such tenements would be built for its more than 2,500 conservancy workers.
The first of these tenements will come up on Pioneer Mill Road in North Zone. Conservancy workers are now living in certain areas of the city from where they can reach quickly their areas of work.
While some of the workers are in multi-storey tenements built by the Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board, the others are in individual tiled-roof houses provided to them as quarters.
The existing tiled-roof houses on Pioneer Mill Road are said to be in very poor condition. They will be demolished and six apartment blocks, each containing eight flats, will be constructed at Rs.3 crore. Out of this, Rs.1.5 crore will be subsidy. The Corporation Council has also passed a resolution, approving the scheme.
Mayor R. Venkatachalam said on Monday: “We will identify the other colonies where our workers live in old houses and construct multi-storey tenements. These workers need to have good living conditions. At present, not only are their houses in a bad condition but the environs they live in are also poor because of the lack of basic amenities,” the Mayor said.
These would be provided with all basic amenities such as drinking water supply, streetlight, drainage and tar-topped roads.
The tenements, however, would be provided only on rent and not on ownership basis. Workers would have to vacate the houses on retirement and it would be allocated to those replacing them or those in service who were waiting for one to be vacate “Three months will be given after the date of retirement for vacating the houses. We need to give them time to collect their retirement benefits as they settle elsewhere only using this money,” the Mayor pointed out.