In city, rich jostle with the poor for free television sets
Chennai: The long, serpentine queue on Vembuli Amman Koil Street in KK Nagar was a perfect symbol of social equality. Crumpled lungis blended with branded trousers, and tattered saris mixed freely with designer wear. Unmindful of the sweltering heat and dust, the affluent waited patiently with the poorest of the poor for their turn to receive free colour TV sets distributed by the Tamil Nadu government.
Some came in cars and some with assistants in tow. Not that they don’t have TV sets at home, but because they did not want to miss out on something that came free of cost. “When the government is offering it free, why not take it? Of course, we have two TV sets at home. We’ll keep this one in our second bedroom. However, this will not influence my choice of voting in the elections. I’ll take a decision only after evaluating who is good and who is bad,” said Priya (name changed), a homemaker whose husband runs two industrial units in the Ambattur industrial estate.
What was announced as a scheme for the poor has now been extended to both the haves and have-nots with assembly elections round the corner. An official said that as per a government order, the distribution was only for households that did not have colour TV sets, but roughly 83% of the 1.96 crore family card holders in the state would now be covered. Of all the freebies given out by the DMK regime, the colour TV has turned out to be the mega-sop, costing the exchequer a whopping Rs 4,000 crore. (1 Billion USD)
By December, the government hopes that about 1.63 crore households will have received the TV sets, a figure that implies that over six crore people would have benefited. This is nearly 90% of the state’s projected population of 6.8 crore.
Many BPL families sell off TVs
Chennai: Keen on covering as many households as possible ahead of the elections, the government recently announced that 10 lakh more TV sets would be procured to meet the requirement. The government machinery has also been geared up to complete the distribution by the end of the year.
Though the government, in its policy note tabled in the assembly, stated that the “unique scheme is to sensitise people on the policies and programmes of the government and to increase their aspiration level,” the objective is far from achieved. Several families, mainly belonging to the below the poverty line (BPL) section, have chosen to sell off the “free gifts”, which cost the government between Rs 2,061 and Rs 2,965 per set, for a throwaway price of Rs 1,000.
Agents can be seen buying TVs from the beneficiaries emerging out of distribution centres.
“What’s happening is quite deplorable. Why should the rich and educated get free colour TVs when they already have one and can afford to buy another? It only reflects their anti-social attitude and behaviour. It’s a sad situation in the country where corruption of mind has taken place, which in turn will sustain corrupt politicians,” said Gnani, a noted columnist.
He said the government should not be implementing it as it was not a welfare scheme. “The funds for such freebies come from selling liquor (which is controlled by the state). Almost all the BPL families have at least one member as an alcoholic. Thus, the government is cheating the poor by depriving them of their income by guiding them to liquor shops and distributing free television from their own money,” he charged.
Some came in cars and some with assistants in tow. Not that they don’t have TV sets at home, but because they did not want to miss out on something that came free of cost. “When the government is offering it free, why not take it? Of course, we have two TV sets at home. We’ll keep this one in our second bedroom. However, this will not influence my choice of voting in the elections. I’ll take a decision only after evaluating who is good and who is bad,” said Priya (name changed), a homemaker whose husband runs two industrial units in the Ambattur industrial estate.
What was announced as a scheme for the poor has now been extended to both the haves and have-nots with assembly elections round the corner. An official said that as per a government order, the distribution was only for households that did not have colour TV sets, but roughly 83% of the 1.96 crore family card holders in the state would now be covered. Of all the freebies given out by the DMK regime, the colour TV has turned out to be the mega-sop, costing the exchequer a whopping Rs 4,000 crore. (1 Billion USD)
By December, the government hopes that about 1.63 crore households will have received the TV sets, a figure that implies that over six crore people would have benefited. This is nearly 90% of the state’s projected population of 6.8 crore.
Many BPL families sell off TVs
Chennai: Keen on covering as many households as possible ahead of the elections, the government recently announced that 10 lakh more TV sets would be procured to meet the requirement. The government machinery has also been geared up to complete the distribution by the end of the year.
Though the government, in its policy note tabled in the assembly, stated that the “unique scheme is to sensitise people on the policies and programmes of the government and to increase their aspiration level,” the objective is far from achieved. Several families, mainly belonging to the below the poverty line (BPL) section, have chosen to sell off the “free gifts”, which cost the government between Rs 2,061 and Rs 2,965 per set, for a throwaway price of Rs 1,000.
Agents can be seen buying TVs from the beneficiaries emerging out of distribution centres.
“What’s happening is quite deplorable. Why should the rich and educated get free colour TVs when they already have one and can afford to buy another? It only reflects their anti-social attitude and behaviour. It’s a sad situation in the country where corruption of mind has taken place, which in turn will sustain corrupt politicians,” said Gnani, a noted columnist.
He said the government should not be implementing it as it was not a welfare scheme. “The funds for such freebies come from selling liquor (which is controlled by the state). Almost all the BPL families have at least one member as an alcoholic. Thus, the government is cheating the poor by depriving them of their income by guiding them to liquor shops and distributing free television from their own money,” he charged.
ONE FOR THE BEDROOM: A woman gets ready to carry home a TV on her bike
ON THE SAME DAY, SAME NEWSPAPER, THIS STORY:
TSUNAMI REHAB PROJECT IN LIMBO
Locals Oppose World Bank-Funded Resettlement Programme, Seek Better Tenements
Chennai: It’s been six years since tsunami struck the Chennai coast, but the state government is still struggling to complete the tenements proposed to be built for those hit by the disaster under a World Bank project. Reason: Panchayats are not cooperating with the Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board, the agency executing the project.
Records show that the board has received 346 crore for construction of tenements along the Marina, Okkiyam Thoraipakkam in the southern suburbs and on an All India Radio plot in north Chennai. The project includes construction of 2,468 temporary shelters at a cost of 17.23 crore. Once the affected people move to these temporary shelters, the TNSCB will pull down the crumbling quarters they are inhabiting at present, and construct new homes for them under the project. Each affected family will be eligible for a single dwelling unit in a three-storeyed apartment. The flat will be spread over 357 sq ft, nearly 100 sq ft larger than the houses they are presently living in.
However, the rehabilitation project has
been delayed because of the residents’ refusal to move out. “We are way behind schedule. The locals neither agree with our beneficiaries list, nor are they happy with the tenement we are providing,” said a senior TNSCB official. The department is groping in the dark as to how to convince the locals, who are demanding houses not only for themselves but also for their heirs in the proposed buildings.
Demolition of the existing slum tenements along the Marina is part of the World Bank’s Emergency Tsunami Reconstruction Project. In their place will be built ‘stilt plus four’ buildings that will house both the tsunami-affected and the slum dwellers. However, save Nochi Nagar, the state has failed to convince the residents of Nochi Kuppam, Duming Kuppam, Selvarajapuram, Foreshore Estate and Srinivasapuram to vacate the existing TNSCB apartments and make way for the new project.
There is more bad news. The plan to build 2,048 units in far-off Okkiyam Thoraipakkam still remains on paper. The officer on special duty, Emergency Tsunami Reconstruction Project, at Ezhilagam, is bombarded with appeals from thousands of people for inclusion of their names in the list of beneficiaries. “There are many outsiders filing false claims. Many groups have the backing of local politicians,” TNSCB sources said.
At least 50 petitions reach the Chennai district collectorate every month, seeking houses in the Marina project. An assessment by the collectorate in 2007 revealed that 17,805 houses were affected by the tsunami in Tondiarpet and Mylapore taluks. But insiders say since there is more than one ration-card holder with the same address, identifying eligible beneficiaries remains a big challenge for the revenue department.
As part of the tsunami rehabilitaion project, the TNSCB has so far managed to build only 3,616 units, at a cost of 139.51 crore, on an AIR plot along the Ennore Expressway. Rehabilitating the affected families in Kasimedu, Thalankuppam, besides a number of other fishing colonies, still remains on paper. Construction of sewers and water lines, stormwater drains, pre-schools, ration shops and health centre has not yet started for want of contractors. Following a request from the government, the World Bank has now sanctioned a new deadline — December 2011 — to complete the tsunami housing projects in the city. The previous deadline lapsed in December 2009.
Records show that the board has received 346 crore for construction of tenements along the Marina, Okkiyam Thoraipakkam in the southern suburbs and on an All India Radio plot in north Chennai. The project includes construction of 2,468 temporary shelters at a cost of 17.23 crore. Once the affected people move to these temporary shelters, the TNSCB will pull down the crumbling quarters they are inhabiting at present, and construct new homes for them under the project. Each affected family will be eligible for a single dwelling unit in a three-storeyed apartment. The flat will be spread over 357 sq ft, nearly 100 sq ft larger than the houses they are presently living in.
However, the rehabilitation project has
been delayed because of the residents’ refusal to move out. “We are way behind schedule. The locals neither agree with our beneficiaries list, nor are they happy with the tenement we are providing,” said a senior TNSCB official. The department is groping in the dark as to how to convince the locals, who are demanding houses not only for themselves but also for their heirs in the proposed buildings.
Demolition of the existing slum tenements along the Marina is part of the World Bank’s Emergency Tsunami Reconstruction Project. In their place will be built ‘stilt plus four’ buildings that will house both the tsunami-affected and the slum dwellers. However, save Nochi Nagar, the state has failed to convince the residents of Nochi Kuppam, Duming Kuppam, Selvarajapuram, Foreshore Estate and Srinivasapuram to vacate the existing TNSCB apartments and make way for the new project.
There is more bad news. The plan to build 2,048 units in far-off Okkiyam Thoraipakkam still remains on paper. The officer on special duty, Emergency Tsunami Reconstruction Project, at Ezhilagam, is bombarded with appeals from thousands of people for inclusion of their names in the list of beneficiaries. “There are many outsiders filing false claims. Many groups have the backing of local politicians,” TNSCB sources said.
At least 50 petitions reach the Chennai district collectorate every month, seeking houses in the Marina project. An assessment by the collectorate in 2007 revealed that 17,805 houses were affected by the tsunami in Tondiarpet and Mylapore taluks. But insiders say since there is more than one ration-card holder with the same address, identifying eligible beneficiaries remains a big challenge for the revenue department.
As part of the tsunami rehabilitaion project, the TNSCB has so far managed to build only 3,616 units, at a cost of 139.51 crore, on an AIR plot along the Ennore Expressway. Rehabilitating the affected families in Kasimedu, Thalankuppam, besides a number of other fishing colonies, still remains on paper. Construction of sewers and water lines, stormwater drains, pre-schools, ration shops and health centre has not yet started for want of contractors. Following a request from the government, the World Bank has now sanctioned a new deadline — December 2011 — to complete the tsunami housing projects in the city. The previous deadline lapsed in December 2009.
POST-DISASTER: The construction of the buildings meant to accomodate the tsunami-affected is yet to be completed
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