BMC asks contractors to complete work in 3 months

Following delay in construction of houses under Integrated Housing and Slum Development Project (IHSDP), Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BMC) authorities have directed the contractors to complete the work in next three months.
Construction of 1,128 houses in 22 slum pockets of the city was taken up in 2010 at an estimated cost of Rs 32 crore. So far, 660 houses have been completed, official sources said.
Contractors attributed the delay to unavailability of land for community houses and roads, dispute between family in some pockets, reluctance of single-room slum dwellers to shift to other places and increase in cost of raw materials.

"The community organisers have been asked to find the exact problem in each slum. We will try to solve these for timely completion of the project," said Commissioner of the corporation Anjana Panda, who reviewed progress of works under IHSDP and Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY) recently.
The Centre has approved nine projects, including construction of 8,008 houses in 83 slums at an estimated cost of Rs 212 crore, for the Silk City under RAY. "The central government has provided Rs 90 crore for the projects," the Commissioner said.
Last month, the corporation inked pacts with three central PSUs, Bridge and Roof Company (India) Limited, Hindustan Steel Corporation and National Buildings Construction Corporation Limited, for construction of these houses. "They were entrusted with the task when no private contractors came forward to take them up," she said.

As per the agreement, these houses will be completed in next 24 months, she added.

"The corporation will provide infrastructure facilities like road and street lights to these RAY houses," said Slum Development Officer Sangram Panda.
He said RAY and IHSDP are being taken up in 105 slum pockets in the city. "We will soon submit detailed project reports of the remaining 85 to the Centre," he added.
Implementation of these housing projects assumes significance as the government is working towards a slum free Berhampur. Thousands of slum dwellers were also rendered homeless after cyclone Phailin damaged their houses on October 12, 2013.