The State government should recommend to the Centre to reduce GST for the construction sector and also look at bringing down the interest rate for the economically weaker sections, C. Ponnaiyan, Vice-Chairman, State Development Policy Council (SDPC), said.
Heavy interest
“Bank interest rate of 14% for the economically weaker section is also quite heavy. A proposal can be sent to the government on the issue,” he said speaking at a workshop on ‘Urban Housing’. He wanted this section of people to be covered for funding under national banks.
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Expressing his concern for slum dwelling women who go for household work, he wondered how they could travel a long distance if they were shifted from the existing place to far off places, an official release said. Transport was quite costly and reaching the workspot on time would be one of the issues for them.
“We should think of the ‘as is where is condition’ and try to provide 2, 3 or 4-storeyed construction to accommodate them. Multi-storeyed building in Thiruvottiyur is one such example,” he said.
Mr. Ponnaiyan noted that norms adopted for the private sector should also be followed in government constructions.
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“Urban people can find place in peri-urban areas where the schemes can be designed by the Tamil Nadu Housing Board. For encroachment of objectionable lands, stringent action should be initiated,” he said.
More allotments
Similarly, he said second and third allotment was a crime and stringent action had to be initiated in such cases.
He also acknowledged the suggestion made by Jayashree Raghunandan, Additional Chief Secretary, Planning and Development Department, on handing over the maintenance part to the residents’ welfare association wherein the seed money could be provided by the Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board or by the government as a grant and a proposal could be sent to the government through the Deputy Chief Minister.