Kerala to take up Rs 5,000 cr scheme to provide houses to all

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 23 (UNI) The Kerala government proposes to take up a special package scheme costing Rs 5,000 crore to provide land and houses to all landless and homeless in the state, Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan said today.

Claiming to be first of its land in the country, he told reporters here that the scheme would be funded with co-operative banks in the state providing Rs 2,500 crore, SC/ST Department Rs 1,500 crore and other departments Rs 1,000 crore.

Stating that as many as 1.68 lakh SC/ST families in the state were homeless, he said they would be provided houses within 30 months.

The Revenue Department would identify 5,000 acres of land required. A sum of Rs 50,000 would be given to those who wanted to purchase land for the same.

Mr Achuthanandan said all required steps, including legislative measures, would be taken to check alientation of land allotted under the scheme.

He said the drive would continue to regain government land illegally occupied plantation companies and individuals and the seized land would be utilised for the scheme.

Mr Achuthanandan said a Cabinet sub-committee had been constituted with himself as chairman and Ministers for Revenue and SC/ST Development as vice-chairmen for implementation of the scheme.

Ministers for Finance, Local Self-Government and Forests were the other members of the sub-committee.

UNI CGV PMM RP UCS1733