3.1 Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board was set up in 1970 by the Hon'ble Chief Minister Dr.Kalaignar with the motto 'God we shall see in the smile of the poor ' for the clearance and improvement of slum areas and its activities are now implemented in the urban areas in Tamil Nadu.

a. The slums located in congested unhygienic urban areas, where equitable distribution of space is not feasible, are cleared and tenemental schemes put up.

b. Wherever in-situ development is feasible, such slums are identified and taken up for in-situ improvement for the provision of basic facilities to make the areas habitable.

c. Wherever neither tenemental scheme nor in-situ development is feasible, Rehabilitation and Resettlement in tenements in nearby locations are done.

d. The Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board over the last 2 years has constructed 12877 tenements under various schemes.

e. During the next 3 years Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board has programmed to construct over 60,000 houses under various schemes in the urban areas of Tamil Nadu at a total cost of Rs.2000 Crore.

f. During 2008-09, Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board has proposed to implement the following schemes, adopting the above policies to ameliorate the living conditions of the urban slum families in Tamil Nadu.

i.

(a) Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board has been constructing storeyed tenements to re-house the slum families and provides slum development works in Chennai and other towns under this programme.

(b) It is proposed to construct 15000 tenements in Chennai and other towns, provide Urban Slum Improvement works for 32000 families, besides Repairs and Renewal works for 30000 tenements at a total cost of Rs.250.00 Crore during the years 2006-2010.

As part of this programme Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board has constructed 6311 tenements in Chennai and other towns and the work of construction of additional 2242 tenements is in progress / to be commenced.

a. A review of the present conditions of the tenements was conducted by the Hon’ble Chief Minister in October 2007. During this meeting, it was instructed that District level technical committees may be formed to identify the tenements which are not fit for occupation and to cause action to demolish and reconstruct these tenements as early as possible.

b. Accordingly, District level technical committees headed by District Collector with representatives from Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board, Tamil Nadu Housing Board and experts in construction works were formed in each District.

c. Based on the reports of the technical committees, 6544 tenements in Chennai, Madurai & Coimbatore are proposed to be demolished and reconstructed. Apart from this, the reconstruction of 2862 tenements in Nochikupam-Srinivasapuram area under Emergency Tsunami Reconstruction Project and in other programmes, 270 tenements in Vyasarpadi and 16 tenements in Kuppaimedu in Chennai would be taken up.

d. To sum up, Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board has proposed to reconstruct totally as noted above 9692 dilapidated tenements at a cost of Rs.263.77 crore in Chennai, Madurai and Coimbatore, utilizing the funds provided under XII Finance Commission and Emergency Tsunami Reconstruction Project and other sources.

Employment oriented training will also be provided to urban slum youth at a total cost of Rs.30.00 lakhs in Chennai and other Districts in the trades like nursing aid, cosmetology, car driving, computing, A/c refrigeration, Data Entry Operations etc.,

The District technical committees have also recommended repairs and renewal works for about 30000 tenements. Accordingly it is proposed to carryout repairs and renewal works for 30000 tenements in Chennai and other towns at a total cost of Rs.47.88 Crores utilising the Specific Needs Grant of XII Finance Commission. The works under this programme will be commenced during 2008-09.

Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board has proposed to spend Rs.100.00 Crore to carryout above said programmes during 2008-09 under XII Finance Commission – Specific Needs Grant.

i(a) The construction of tenements to resettle the Tsunami affected families in Chennai and Thiruvallore Districts has been taken up utilising World Bank funded Emergency Tsunami Reconstruction Project and Government of India funded Rajiv Gandhi Rehabilitation Package.

(b) Under these programmes, Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board has already provided houses for 7506 families living in Chennai & Thiruvallore Districts at a cost of Rs.95.94 Crore. Another 2500 houses are also ready for allotment.

Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board has further taken up the construction of tenements at a cost of Rs.385.06 Crores in Chennai utilising World Bank assistance under Emergency Tsunami Reconstruction Project. This includes 3616 houses at AIR Land at Thiruvottiyur, 2064 houses at Okkiyum Thuraipakkam and 7320 houses in Nochikuppam to Srinivasapuram area.

a. Besides, it is also proposed to construct houses for Tsunami affected families originally proposed to be constructed by NGOs who backed out subsequently (Package I) and for those in vulnerable areas in the Coastal Districts of Tamil Nadu (Package II).

b. Under Package I, the Board has completed 71 houses in 2007-08 and construction of 748 houses is in progress. Besides the construction of 398 houses will be commenced and completed during 2008-09. In total, 1217 houses will be completed with infrastructure at a cost of Rs.42.60 Crores.

It is proposed to provide houses for the families living within 200 M of the seashore in Tsunami vulnerable areas in the Coastal Districts of Tamil Nadu along with infrastructure. The work of construction of 221 houses under this programme is under progress and construction of additional 512 houses has commenced, These works cost Rs.25.66 Crores. Apart from this, Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board has proposed to construct an additional 5658 houses at a cost of Rs.198.03 Crore. Totally 6391 houses will be constructed at a cost of Rs.223.69 Crore.

a. Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board has drawn up an ambitious programme to rehouse / resettle all the remaining slum families living in objectionable and unobjectionable locations in Chennai, Madurai & Coimbatore in self contained tenements with required infrastructure. It is proposed to make the mega cities in Tamil Nadu namely Chennai, Madurai & Coimbatore slum-free by 2013. This massive construction programme will be taken up under the Basic Services for Urban Poor component of centrally shared "Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission". This programme is funded by the Government of India and State Government.

b. As part of this programme, it is proposed to construct 35270 tenements as "integrated townships" in Chennai, Madurai & Coimbatore at a total cost of Rs.1208.55 Crore in the following locations.

The construction works of tenements in the above schemes will be commenced during 2008-09

Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board has programmed to spend Rs.135.00 lakhs under Part II Schemes of 2008-09 as detailed below.

a. Repairs and renewal works for the slum tenements in Chennai and other towns at a cost of Rs.100.00 lakhs

b. Employment training programme for Urban Slum Youth at a cost of Rs.10.00 Lakhs

c. Computerisation connectivity to Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board Circles and Divisions at a cost of Rs.25.00 lakhs

In order to improve the conditions of the urban slums and make it habitable, Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board has proposed to provide basic amenities like roads, street lights, drinking water, storm water drain, Public Convenience units etc., at a cost of Rs.10.00 Crore to benefit 20000 families during 2008-09.

a. The Government have proposed to construct Elevated Expressway from War Memorial to Maduravoyal as part of Port connectivity Project to ease the Cargo Traffic. Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board has been nominated as the designated agency to implement the Resettlement component of this programme.

b. The slum families living on the alignment of Elevated Expressway along cooum river will be resettled in storeyed tenements with required infrastructure and social facilities. Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board has proposed to construct houses for 11200 families at a cost of Rs.392.00 Crore. The work of construction of these tenements will be commenced in 2008-09.

3.9 Special Component Plan 2008-09 Schemes Proposed for the Scheduled Caste Slum Families in Urban Areas

a. The Special Component Plan seeks to ensure flow of resources for the integrated development of Scheduled Caste Population living in urban slums.

b. Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board has been implementing various housing programmes to ameliorate the living conditions of the urban slum families in Tamil Nadu. It is estimated that the slum families belonging to Scheduled Castes in urban area is 26%. They will be benefited through the various housing programmes to be implemented by Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board during 2008-09. The details are as follows.

a. Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board has programmed to implement livelihood support programmes for the Tsunami hit slum families between 2006-07 and 2008-09 at a total cost of Rs.4.32 crore. As part of this programme, it is proposed to implement the following livelihood support scheme during 2008-09.

The women would be motivated to form 100 " Self Help Groups". This component also includes issue of Revolving Fund to 100 Self Help Groups at Rs.30,000 per group.

The Tsunami hit women/youth will be imparted training in the manufacture of consumables, A/c refrigeration, computer office automation, computer application, cosmetology, Marketing etc.,

It is proposed to organize livelihood activities through Autorickshaws, Three wheeler luggage carrier, Mahindra Tourister and production of other commodities for 1000 persons in the Tsunami affected areas. Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board shall spend Rs.100.00 lakhs for the above said programmes during 2008-09.

a. In certain schemes such as Emergency Tsunami Reconstruction Project & Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, it is proposed to have framed structure design of buildings to have better resistance against natural hazards. These are being executed for the first time by the Board.

b. In order to resettle the slum families near the city and in view of the high land costs, Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board has proposed to embark on G+6 Multi storeyed Buildings with lift and other arrangements.

c. Future resettlement schemes will be developed as "integrated townships" with all required social and community facilities.

In pursuance of the Policy of the Government to reach the goal of "A House to Each and Every Family" in Tamil Nadu, the Housing Cooperative Societies numbering 1034 Primary Cooperative Societies comprising of 197 Taluk Cooperative Housing Societies and 837 Urban Cooperative Housing Societies and a State Level Apex institution namely Tamil Nadu Cooperative Housing Federation Limited, Chennai are functioning in our State.

In order to ensure unbiased management of housing cooperative societies Special Officers were appointed with effect from 25.5.2001 for the Primary Cooperative Housing Societies. The management of these societies will be restored after observing the principles of Democratic norms as early as possible.

a. Rural Housing Scheme for Economically Weaker Sections, Low Income Group and Middle Income Group.

b. Urban Housing Schemes

c. House expansion and renovation

The Tamil Nadu Cooperative Housing Federation has arranged for Loans to the members of the Primary Cooperative Housing Societies for the construction of 11,61,427 houses with Financial Assistance of Rs.4,698.74 crores as detailed below:

As announced in the Finance Minister’s address while presenting the Budget on 20.03.2008, a carefully conceived scheme of waiver will be implemented on a graded basis to those who have obtained loan for construction of houses from the Co-operative Housing Societies, so that the people from Economically Weaker Sections who have obtained loan upto Rs.25,000/- are given full relief from the debt burden and the other sections are given substantial relief as indicated in the table given below:

These special concessions will be applicable during the period from 01.04.2008 to 30.09.2008 only.

5.1 The Scheme of grant of House Building Advance to the Government Servants is implemented very effectively to sanction advances for the following purposes:-

a. Purchase of Plot and Construction of a house

b. Construction of a new house

c. Purchase of Ready Built flat/house from the Tamil Nadu Housing Board

d. Purchase of Ready Built flat/House (Private)

e. Enlargement of the existing accommodation

f. Making improvements to the existing accommodation

5.2 The House Building Advance is being sanctioned upto a maximum of Rs.6.00 lakhs for the State Government Employees and Rs.7.50 lakhs to the All India Service Officers. For enlargement/improvement of the existing living accommodation, a maximum of Rs.3.00 lakhs is being sanctioned within the overall ceiling limit mentioned above.

5.3 During the year 2008-09, a sum of Rs.102.00 crores has been allocated for sanction of House Building Advance to the Government Servants and All India Service Officers.

6.1. The Tamil Nadu Buildings (Lease and Rent Control) Act 1960 as amended by Tamil Nadu Act 23 of 1973 comprises the objects as given below:

a. Accommodation Control : Regulation of letting of Accommodation

b. Rent Control : Control of rents

c. Eviction Control : Prevention of unreasonable eviction

6.2. The Accommodation Controller (The Collector of Chennai in the case of Chennai City) is concerned with Accommodation Control. The Accommodation Controller is the Authorised Officer under the Act for administering the provisions contained in respect of letting accommodation. Further, the Tamil Nadu Buildings (Lease and Rent Control) Act 1960 is a concurrent Act and even any amendment in this Act has to be approved by the Central Government. The Collector of Chennai is the statutory tenant for all the houses under Government tenancy in Chennai District and is responsible for all aspects such as payment of rent and maintenance of buildings etc., The Authorised Officer (i.e) The Accommodation Controller is concerned with Sec 3, 3A, 12, 13 and 22 of the Tamil Nadu Building (Lease and Rent Control) Act 1960.

6.3. The buildings are taken over under provisions of Section 3 and allotted to Government servants for residential purposes and to Government offices for non-residential purpose. Taking over and allotment of building is a statutory one guided by executive instructions issued by the Government from time to time. For the past 20 years no building has been taken over under the Government Tenancy in Chennai City as the rent, which is calculated, based on Public Works Department rates is always on the higher side. As the present land value is increasing, the rental value is abnormally high, even if the building is a very old one and lacking in amenities. Hence it is not safe for the Government on monetary aspect to take over any building as the Government have to bear the rent if no one is willing to occupy such building. As a statutory tenant, the Government are responsible for the maintenance of buildings under Government Tenancy.

6.4. Originally the privilege of allotting houses to Government servants through this Act has been introduced in the year 1949. Now there are Housing Board, Slum Clearance Board and House Building Advance facilities to look after the needs of Government servants in respect of accommodation. At present no one person in the category of Transferee has registered his name in the Collectorate Chennai. For the 17 buildings now under the Government tenancy, the Government are the tenant till the tenancy is terminated and possession handed over to the owner. There are 4 Court cases pending at various stages in respect of buildings under Government Tenancy. The Government have authorized the Collector of Chennai as Accommodation Controller to admit deposit of rent by private tenants where ever bonafide doubt or dispute has been established over the owners or persons entitled to receive the rent for a particular building.