Deccan Chronicle 19.09.2009

Team reviews slum works

Chennai, Sept. 18: Top officials fr-om the department of poverty alleviation and Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNN-URM) on Friday reviewed the infrastructural developmental works taken up in slums of Chennai under the Basic Services for Urban Poor (BSUP) scheme being implemented by the Chennai corporation.

The objective of the visit was to check out whether the civic amenities like concrete roads, storm water drains, community toilets, parks, street lights, community centres, gasifier crematoriums and construction of houses for slum dwellers have been properly incorporated by the city corporation using the funds sanctioned by the Centre.

The team led by Ms Kiran Dhingra, secretary, housing and poverty alleviation dep-artment, along with senior civil service officials, inspe-cted slums in Kodambak-kam and Saidapet. At a function Ms Dhingra distributed Rs 11.44 lakh to 1,144 members of 60 self-help groups as revolving fu-nds under the Swarna Jay-anthi Shahari Rozgar Yojana.

Speaking on the occasion mayor M. Subramanian said that the high-level team from the Centre was satisfied with the civic works executed by the city corporation. A project aimed to make Chennai slum-free was proposed a few months ago and the Centre sanctioned Rs 200 crore.