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| TN to build disaster-resistant houses with World Bank aid | |
| BS Reporter / Chennai June 18, 2009, 0:56 IST | |
As part of its Phase-II plan, the Tamil Nadu government is planning to construct 17,000 disaster-resistant houses in rural areas. Each house would cost Rs 3 lakh, which is likely to be funded by the World Bank.
The government is currently in the process of implementing Phase-I of the programme, which envisages construction of 21,141 houses at a cost of Rs 772 crore under the Rajiv Gandhi Rehabilitation Plan. About 1,976 houses have already been constructed.
At a meeting held in Chennai on Tuesday to review the progress of infrastructure and livelihood programmes in the tsunami-hit coastal districts, which are being implemented with funds from the Centre, Asian Development Bank and the World Bank, state finance minister K Anbazhagan said works to the tune of Rs 5,074.09 crore were being implemented in 13 tsunami-hit coastal districts under various projects, drawing funds from different sources and multilateral agencies. In three years, works involving expenditure of Rs 1,175 crore had been completed, he said.
On the tsunami relief and rehabilitation works, Anbazhagan said 39,684 houses were constructed as on May 31 in Phase-I, of which 37,904 were handed over to the beneficiaries. Of these houses, 30,302 were built with the help of non-governmental organisations and 9,382 houses by the government. A sum of Rs 268.46 crore was spent on providing basic amenities for these houses, he added.
The state government has begun construction of 11,539 disaster-resistant houses with funds from the Centre for those living in houses built 10 years ago in coastal villages. The government plans to construct 41,411 such houses under the Indira Awaas Yojana.
In the Phase-II, the minister said, the government had negotiated with the World Bank for another 17,000 houses that could withstand earthquakes and tsunami between 200 and 1000 metres outside the HTL with a projected cost of Rs 3 lakh per house.
A formal approval from the Bank is expected in two months. According to the World Bank deadline, the houses will have to be constructed by the end of 2011 but the state hopes to complete construction in 18 months from the day of approval, he said.
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