Date:13/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/13/stories/2008121350420100.htm

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Rs. 12 crore sanctioned for Pudukottai

M. Balaganessin

Delayed progress: Construction of houses in the tsunami-hit villages in Pudukottai district delayed due to sharp showers since past fortnight.

PUDUKOTTAI: A sum of Rs.12 crore has been sanctioned under the Rajiv Gandhi Rehabilitation Package (RGRP) for providing basic amenities in tsunami-hit villages in the district.

The funds will be utilised for providing roads, street-lights, drinking water and drainage. This will be in addition to the housing programme being executed under the RGRP at an outlay of Rs.61.29 crore for the construction of 2,324 houses in the coastal taluks.

The houses are being constructed in 55 habitations in 11 village panchayats in the coastal taluks of Manamelkudi and Avudaiyarkovil. While each house is being constructed on a plinth area of 325 square feet at an expenditure of Rs.2.38 lakh, the unit cost towards basic amenities will be around Rs.40,000.

The sanction also includes expenditure on repair and maintenance or strengthening of bunds of water sources like tanks or culverts. “In fact, we have taken up a work on the renovation of a culvert, across the backwaters, leading to a drinking water source at R. Pudupatinam near Meemisal,” says Executive Engineer, Project Implementation Unit, Tsunami, Pudukottai, P. R. Jayaprakash.

The old culvert, in a dilapidated condition, posed a threat to the people crossing the backwaters. At several places where housing programme has been nearing completion, work on providing road facility and drainage channels has been taken up. The officials have taken up special steps for the expeditious execution of the work on the construction of houses.

At Avulia Nagar near Gopalapattinam, building workers and road-roller operators were seen fully utilising a short spell of lull after sharp showers on Tuesday to resume the construction work of houses or provision of civic amenities.

Apart from showers, the narrow lanes and inaccessible habitations are other factors causing a difficulty in moving the raw materials. “We have spared no efforts in moving raw materials to these places,” Mr. Jayaprakash says.