Need to Provide Funds for Construction of Houses under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) in Chennai Metropolitan Area under South Chennai Parliamentary Constituency, Tamil Nadu

 Dated: 10.12.2019

Dr. T. Sumathy (a) Thamizhachi Thangapandian (Chennai South):According to the 2011 Slum Population Survey of India, 31%of Chennaites live in slums. Chennai Metropolitan population has grown from 2.64 million in 1971 to 4.68 million in 2011, and now it is 6.5 Million. The expansion of the Chennai Metropolitan Development Area (CMDA) from 1,189 Sq. Kms. to 8,878 Sq. Kms. has increased the Slum Population in CMDA eight-fold.

Slums present the most unhygienic, ugly, and nauseating scene. During the rainy season, it becomes a breeding place for mosquitoes, exposing the slum people to all sorts of diseases. During summer, the thatched huts are prone to fire accidents. Thus, the slum dweller’s life is the most miserable one. The Slum dwellers of Chennai are the worst affected due to very heavy rains, frequent floods and cyclonic storms during Monsoons.

Our Visionary leader,Dr.Kalaignar, empowered the government to protect the rights of slum dwellers from eviction or relocation in 1971. The policy helped in creating the Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board (TNSCB) in 1971. At present, the CMDA has forgotten to address problems due to climate change, urbanisation, and Chennai’s expansion. Development for the urban poor is beyond the provision of social housing. This requires around 1.5 Lakh houses with all the associated infrastructure facilities for providing quality education to medical care to create Smart Slums in the Chennai Metropolitan Area.

I, therefore, urge the Government to take appropriate steps to provide funds for the construction of 1.5 Lakh houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana—Housing for All (Urban) and also initiate the Smart Slums program the Smart Cities Initiative in Chennai Metropolitan Area which covers my South Chennai Constituency.