Putra Heights inferno: SPNB to rebuild, repair 17 houses from next week
KEPALA BATAS: Syarikat Perumahan Negara Berhad (SPNB) will rebuild and repair 17 houses affected by the April 1 gas pipeline explosion in Putra Heights, Selangor, starting next week.
SPNB chief executive officer Mohd Jamil Idris said this is an initial project involving 11 homes that were completely destroyed and six houses for renovation under the government allocation previously approved, namely a maximum of RM300,000 for rebuilding and RM150,000 for repairs.
"We have entered the area, and our contractors issued appointment letters to the affected residents this week. So, starting next week, they (the contractors) will start work at the site (of the affected houses). If we look at the data we have, so far, there are 17 houses… and this data may change,' he said.
He told reporters this when met at the Urban Community Sustainability Programme (PKKB) and SPNB Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Programme in Taman Desa Kuala Muda here on Saturday (May 31), which was officiated by SPNB chairman Datuk Mohd Azmi Mohd Lila.
The gas pipeline fire on April 1 caused flames to rise more than 30 metres high, with temperatures reaching over 1,000 degrees Celsius, causing 81 homes to be completely destroyed, with structural damage exceeding 40 per cent, 81 homes partially damaged, 57 homes affected but not burned, and 218 homes left unaffected.
Meanwhile, Azmi said SPNB would build a total of 5,450 houses under the Rumah Mesra Rakyat (RMR) project nationwide this year, with an allocation of RM504 million, to help B40 and low-income groups own homes.
He said they have also implemented about half of the target as of May and aim to complete it all by the end of this year.
"We build these houses quite fast, in three months, mostly using conventional methods as well as IBS (Industrialised Building System), but there may be issues in terms of slight delays (for certain applications) because (there are) necessary processes,' he said.
Azmi said the eligibility criteria for owning an RMR home include a household income not exceeding RM5,000, not currently owning a house and having their own land.
"The construction cost for each house is RM75,000, namely RM20,000 in the form of a government subsidy and the remaining RM55,000 as an interest-free loan. The monthly repayment is RM300 for about 16 years,' he said, adding that a total of 73,279 RMR units have been built nationwide since 2002.
As for Saturday's programme, the Housing and Local Government Ministry contributed RM38,950 while SPNB chipped in with RM10,000.
In addition, SPNB and Progressive Impact Technology Sdn Bhd also contributed a 4kWp solar panel system worth RM18,540 to educate the community about electricity savings, environmental friendliness, renewable energy, green technology adoption and promoting a healthier environment.- Bernama
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