The Hindu 31.12.2010
Focus on urban poor housing scheme
R. Sairam
MADURAI: The district administration, banks and several Government
departments are pulling out all stops to achieve the current fiscals’
target under a Centrally-sponsored affordable housing scheme, whose
implementation has been lagging behind so far.
With only three months left in the current financial year, Collector
C. Kamaraj has accorded top priority to execute the Interest Subsidy
Scheme for Housing Urban Poor (ISHUP), in which, despite a target of
10,520, only 147 applications had been sanctioned till December 20,
official sources told The Hindu here on Wednesday.
Further, only around 1,900 applications had so far been forwarded to
the banks for sanction. The Tamil Nadu Housing Board (TNHB) and Tamil
Nadu Slum Clearance Board (TNSCB) were the nodal agencies for this
scheme.
Concerned over the lack of progress, the Collector convened a review
meeting exclusively on this scheme during the second week of December
with all the concerned officials and banks.
As the scheme involved mortgage, many administrative and legal
procedures had to be handled and these were slowing down the scheme. The
main focus was on ensuring that the applicant possessed accurate title
deeds over the property.
An official involved in the scheme said that the State Government has
eased certain norms to ensure expeditious sanction for proposals.
Earlier, while beneficiaries had to get building plan approval from
their respective local bodies, the Commissioner of Municipal
Administration has issued a directive stating that the type design and
estimate of the sponsoring agencies’ engineer would suffice.
Further the target area for the scheme has also been expanded. While
earlier confined to Town Panchayats, Municipalities and Corporation, the
scheme has been extended to Local Planning Authority areas, which
included many villages coming under the blocks of Tirupparankundram,
Madurai East and West.
Eligibility
The official said that ISHUP was applicable for two groups based on
income: Economically weaker (monthly income less than Rs. 5,000) and low
income groups (monthly income between Rs. 5,000 and Rs. 10,000). While
the former was eligible for loans upto Rs. 1 lakh, the latter could
avail upto Rs. 1.60 lakh.
Both groups would be eligible for interest subsidy and reduced equated monthly instalments, the official added.