Chennai: Exuding confidence on achieving the target set for a slum-free state in the Tamil Nadu Vision 2023 announced by late chief minister J. Jayalalithaa, Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam informed the Assembly on Monday that the initiatives for ensuring housing for the urban poor was progressing in the right direction.
The state government is confident of providing houses for the urban poor by 2023 and he would furnish the details on the number of houses completed and amount spent in his reply to the Assembly House at the end of this Budget session, Panneerselvam said. Refuting a charge on “manipulating figures” to achieve the target by the opposition DMK in the House, he said his government has been showing results on the schemes it had announced by making steady progress. “I shall reveal all the particulars in my reply to the House,” he said.
Initiating a debate DMK member and former state minister S. Raghupathy, representing the Thirumayam constituency, expressed skepticism over the government’s achievements in the housing sector. When he remarked, “it is easy to promise anything but difficult to keep up the assurance” Panneerselvam shot back saying “Amma’s government always delivers upon its promise. When you (DMK) expressed disbelief over the new Veeranam project, she had completed it in 18 months, about six months ahead of schedule.”
Congress member S. Vijayadharani, urged the state government to pass a resolution in the Assembly condemning the Centre for not disbursing adequate funds to Tamil Nadu.
