CM Oommen Chandy announces scheme for homeless
The Chief Minister also announced 21 new projects for the development of the district
ALAPPUZHA: Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Thursday announced a novel scheme, ‘Bhavana Bharatham societies,’ which will be set up in all the districts to construct homes for the homeless in the state.
Inaugurating the mass contact programme ‘Karuthal -2015’ at EMS stadium here, he said that a society would be formed in Alappuzha as a pilot project and later it would be expanded. The Chief Minister also announced 21 new projects for the development of the district. A sum of Rs 131.64 crore will be sanctioned for constructing a 79- km sea wall to protect the coastal families.
Special projects will be initiated for constructing sea wall in Arthunkal and Purakkad coastal areas. “The projects for preventing sea erosion at Haripad and Arattupuzha will begin soon. IIT, Chennai has been entrusted to conduct studies in this connection and a sum of Rs 65 lakh has been sanctioned for it,’’ said Mr Chandy .
A total of Rs 5.9 crore has been sanctioned for reopening the Komalapuram spinning mill and the health department has been directed to sign up more contracts with Kerala State Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Limited. Malabar Cements’ Pallippuram unit would be reopened on May 26.
The basic facilities in Chengannur town and the railway station –the main halting station for Sabarimala pilgrims- will be improved. The Union Urban Development Ministry had set up an expert committee for this purpose.
The Chief Minister also approved the project submitted by sub-collector D. Balamurali for rehabilitating the cracker manufacturers of Thuravoor.
“A co-operative society will be set up under the district collector for rehabilitating 1,500 cracker manufacturing families. They will be provided modern facilities as in Sivakashi,” he said.
As many as 50 harvesting machines will be bought for addressing harvesting woes in Kuttanad due to the dearth of labourers.
The subsidy dues of Rs 4.5 croe for the pumping works carried out by the farmers will be cleared soon.
Earlier, the government had given R Block’s excess land to 217 farmers, who had lost their land following encroachment by the real estate mafia. The government has started procedures for taking over the encroached land which will be given back to the farmers, said Mr Chandy.
For promoting husk procurement in the district, Rs 1.30 would be given. The coir workers can also collect husk and they will get this amount apart from their daily wage.
“For constructing Mundakkal bridge, Rs 29 crore has been provided and the government will soon sanction the Rs 11.03-crore Arattupuzha tsunami project and Nerekadavu bridge’’ he added.