First phase of Shanthipuram colony redevelopment to get under way soon
The project will follow the concept of Pocket Homes, an innovative social housing project designed to optimise space and foster community engagement along a linear axis. Unlike conventional housing layouts, Pocket Homes utilise the linear axis by pushing houses inward alternatively creating pockets of spaces along the street to maximise land utilisation and promote social interaction.
The Shanthipuram Colony redevelopment plan drawn up by Architect Engineering College of Asadi Group proposes blocks of eight houses at the rate of four houses on three cents each, with each family having title deeds for 0.75 cents. The existing houses, which are more than four decades old, remain rickety and stand cheek by jowl.
'Giving them [residents] safe housing has been a long-term goal of the Corporation and was declared in our budget. Each house entails a cost of ₹10 lakh, though the Corporation cannot provide more than ₹4 lakh to each family under the Life Mission. Neither could we use other funds for the purpose. Finding the remaining ₹6 lakh for each has been the challenge before the Corporation,' said Mayor M. Anilkumar.
Bharat Petroleum Limited-Kochi Refinery and Shobha Group had pledged corporate social responsibility funds of ₹1 crore and ₹50 lakh respectively following which the first phase of redevelopment was announced.
Division councillor George Nanatt, who has been at the forefront of the redevelopment of the colony, said that in the initial phase, 16 houses would be completed in the next three to six months to convince the beneficiaries that the project was indeed up and running.
'The major hurdle is that most families have pawned their 0.75 cents for a few lakhs and are not in a position to immediately repay the loan and retrieve the title deeds. The construction cannot be launched unless the title deeds are available either. So, to kick-start the project, houses will be built on land of which the title deeds are available,' he said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
4 hours ago
- The Hindu
AIADMK to protest demanding immediate opening of Palayamkottai Market inaugurated by Stalin in February
The AIADMK has announced that the party would soon organise demonstration demanding the immediate opening of the Mahatma Gandhi Market in Palayamkottai, rebuilt at a cost of ₹14.90 crore under the Centre's Smart City Mission programme, as it remains closed even after being inaugurated by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on February 7. According to Thatchai N. Ganesa Raja, AIADMK's Tirunelveli district secretary, the 60-year-old market was rebuilt with 439 shops, cold storage and parking facility in the basement to generate the whopping revenue of ₹2.08 crore per annum to the Corporation. Even though this market was inaugurated by Mr. Stalin five months ago, the market still remains closed due to 'rampant corruption' in allotting the shops to the traders. 'While the traders, who had their shops in this market, demand preference in the allotment of shops, the Corporation says the shops would be assigned to those who are prepared to pay the rent fixed by the urban civic body. And, cases were filed by a few traders in the court that stalled the opening of the market. Though this interim stay has been vacated, the Corporation is in no mood to allot the shops through public auction in fair and transparent manner to the waiting applicants. So, we, in support of the waiting traders, have decided to protest demanding the immediate opening of the Palayamkottai Gandhi Market,' said Mr. Ganesa Raja. He also said the party would also organise a series of agitations if the 'Amma Unvagavam' within the Tirunelveli Corporation were not maintained well to serve quality food to the poor. 'The AIADMK funded the maintenance and operation of the 'Amma Unvagagam' during the COVID-induced lockdown. We gave the money for serving food to the poor during the pandemic. Now, the Corporation is allowing these eateries to die as it was the scheme initiated by Amma (late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa). We won't allow it to happen. If the Corporation still refuses to maintain these eateries well, the urban local body will face intense protest by the AIADMK,' Mr. Ganesa Raja warned.
Hans India
13 hours ago
- Hans India
Mahalakshmi scheme empowered women, avers Bhatti
Hyderabad: Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka announced on Wednesday that the government has consistently reimbursed the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) for zero-fare tickets issued under the popular Mahalakshmi scheme, an initiative he stated is significantly bolstering the Corporation's financial health. During celebrations marking the issuance of 200 crore zero tickets, the Minister formally presented a cheque for Rs 6,680 crore to the Corporation. The grand celebrations took place on Wednesday at the Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station (MGBS). The Deputy Chief Minister was accompanied by Ministers Ponnam Prabhakar and Komatireddy Venkat Reddy. Together, they felicitated women utilising the Mahalakshmi free bus travel facility and acknowledged the dedicated efforts of the RTC staff. Bhatti Vikramarka further announced that since the current government took office, the Corporation has acquired 2,400 new buses. He emphasised that TGSRTC is actively pursuing the procurement of an additional 2,800 electric buses, a move aimed at transforming Hyderabad into a pollution-free city. He highlighted that electric buses already constitute 11 per cent of the existing fleet. The Deputy Chief Minister also underscored that the scheme not only provides free travel but has also empowered women by facilitating their involvement as bus owners. He assured comprehensive government support for the RTC. Minister Ponnam Prabhakar extended his congratulations to the RTC staff for the successful implementation of the Mahalakshmi scheme, noting its deep integration into the daily lives of women across the state. To commemorate women completing 200 crore journeys, he announced that grand celebrations are planned across 97 depots and 324 bus stations statewide. Prabhakar also stressed that TGSRTC is prioritising improved transport facilities for passengers and enhancing the welfare of its employees. Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy reiterated that the free bus travel initiative will not only reduce travel costs for women but will also yield significant advantages for the RTC. TGSRTC Managing Director VC Sajjanar announced that the Mahalakshmi scheme is currently operational across 7,913 buses, with an impressive average of 3.5 million women utilising these services daily. He highlighted a remarkable surge in the occupancy ratio (OR), which has risen from 69% prior to the scheme's launch to an impressive 97%. Sajjanar expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the RTC staff for their pivotal role in the scheme's successful implementation. Special Principal Secretary of the Transport Department Vikas Raj, Hyderabad Collector Dasari Harichandan, RTC Executive Directors Munishekhar, Khusroshah Khan, Rajasekhar, Venkanna, and Finance Advisor Vijayapushfa were also in attendance.
The Hindu
a day ago
- The Hindu
Kozhikode city to get 5,000 more streetlights
The Kozhikode Corporation is planning to entrust the Karnataka State Electronics Development Corporation (KEONICS) with the task of setting up 5,000 new streetlights across the city. Corporation Public Works Standing Committee chairman P.C. Rajan said that a contract would be drawn up with KEONICS soon in this regard. KEONICS already has a collaboration with the Kozhikode Corporation wherein it was tasked with installing and managing smart LED streetlights across the city from 2020. The 10-year contract was worth ₹57 crore. Of the 5,000 new streetlights, 3,000 will be set up as 40 each in the 75 divisions of the corporation. The remaining 2,000 streetlights are to be installed along the main roads and public spaces where they are necessary. A special meeting of the Corporation council was held recently to discuss the contract. KEONICS has demanded an advance of two months' worth of EMI to take up the job, which the council has approved. The council also discussed the condition of several streetlights set up under the Kerala Sustainable Urban Development Programme (KSUDP) several years ago on major roads such as Francis Road, Vaikom Mohammed Basheer Road, Mananchira and Kuttichira. It was noted that several of those lights were currently out of order as their underground cables had been damaged. They council has decided to replace them. 'We have to set up overhead cables for these lights as the underground cables do not seem to work in the long run. The Corporation is planning to find agencies to undertake their upkeep,' Mr. Rajan said. Under the proposed annual maintenance contract, these agencies are allowed to set up their advertisements on the lamp posts that they are maintaining. However, since Mananchira is a no-ad zone, the Corporation will rope in agencies to maintain the streetlights there for a fixed fee. The Corporation is also looking for agencies to maintain the streetlights on the North beach-Puthiyappa stretch.
