Flats for poor empty as UT awaits VVIP inauguration

“The flats were ready around five months ago,but maintenance work,like sewerage pipes,water connections,roads construction and other work were pending. But,for around two to three months,we have been ready to allocate the houses,but are waiting for some VVIP to inaugurate them,” Mandeep Kaur said.

“It is a biggest and first of its kind project in India. For the first time,such a large number of flats are being constructed for the rehabilitation of slum people. It is quite obvious,that some VIP will come to inaugurate the houses,” she added.

She further said that the housing board has given its green signal to the Chandigarh administration. “We are the implementing agency but it now depends on the Chandigarh Administration on if and when they will make the final arrangements for calling a VVIP for the inauguration,” Kaur said.

On the other hand,people at Colony number 5 are eagerly waiting to be shifted to their new pucca houses. The colony,which is spread over 25 acres and houses about 1.5 lakh people,is the city’s biggest slum. Mau Bharati,a resident of Colony number 5 said: “Officials have taken Rs 900 from every one of us and they have assured us that we will be given houses. We are eagerly waiting for the pucca flats,as living conditions are terrible here.” The newly constructed flats will have basic facilities like schools,dispensaries,among others.

“Of the 8,448 flats,8,300 will be allotted to the slum dwellers and rest will be set aside for social service. Around 32 flats will be given to schools; 8 to dispensaries; 60 for anganwadis,four each for those belonging to Schedule Castes,Backward Classes and minorities,” Kaur said.

In 2006,in an attempt to make the city slum-free,the administration assigned the task of construction of dwelling units to CHB. This is for the first time that one time solution to rehabilitate all the existing slum families in one go is being provided by the Chandigarh Administration.

Under the scheme,23,841 bio-metrically identified slum dwellers will be rehabilitated at eight locations in the city,including Dhanas. The total cost of slum rehabilitation project is around Rs 1,300 crore.