Rural Tamil Nadu is witnessing a silent revolution. Those without a roof over their heads are being provided with smart houses built under the Chief Minister’s Solar Powered Green House Scheme.
All Below Poverty line (BPl) families belonging to districts other than Chennai are eligible for this unique scheme. BPl families with minimum 300 sq ft plot in their name are eligible for the scheme. The State Government will provide Rs 1.8 lakh for building a 300 sq ft house. The houses are lighted with solar roof top system worth Rs 30,000 installed by the Tamil Nadu Energy Development Agency.
A trip to the interior Tiruchirappalli district brought out some interesting facts. Paul Raj and Achu Selvi, the middle-aged couple in Somarasam Pettai village, had never ever thought of owning a house of their own even in their wildest dreams. Both of them are daily wage earners working in farm lands on a meagre salary. In 2011 they were staying in a rented one-room thatched house. By January 2013, the couple with their two children had shifted to a brand new Green House of their own. “We had to pawn my jewels to buy this 300 sq ft plot, a prerequisite to get the Green Home. But for this scheme, we would have remained tenants throughout our life,” Selvi told The Pioneer.
Same is the case with Victoria and her husband John Peter of Allithurai village in the district. “When we saw the model houses, I felt it was our one and only chance to own a house. With loans and other financial assistance offered by my mother, we bought the plot of land. We got Rs 1.8 lakh from the Government to build this house. Thanks to Amma (as Jayalalithaa is affectionately addressed by the people), we have a dream house,” said Victoria. Peter who does odd jobs for a livelihood said the house has four solar lamps and a toilet as well. The Government has set apart Rs 30,000 for the roof top solar panel for each house.
Each house boasts of a living-cum-dining room, bedroom, kitchen and toilet. The power needs are met with the solar panel installed on the roof. The beneficiaries are free to make alterations to the house at their own expense. Arumugam, a mason by profession, has made use of his expertise and built a verandah for his children to study during the day.
Cynics had raised their eyebrows in disbelief and suspicion when J Jayalalithaa, the AIADMK leader, released her party’s manifesto for the 2011 Assembly elections at Tiruchirappalli.
What stood out in her manifesto was the offer to build 60,000 houses every year for the next five years to those below the poverty line. Those who doubted her intentions now say that she has outsmarted her political opponents in fulfilling the promise.
Thousands of Below Poverty line card holders in Tamil Nadu have become proud owners of these Green Homes. The only precondition to become a proud owner of Green Homes is that the beneficiary should have a minimum 300 sq ft plot of land in his/her name. Officials of the directorate of Rural Development entrusted with the task of building the homes work on a war-footing since this one of Amma’s pet schemes monitored by her on a daily basis.
The Manikandam Block in Tiruchirappalli district alone has built 564 houses till date. “Works are under progress to build 344 homes by the end of this financial year,” said K Paneerselvam, Block Development Officer, Manikandam. Transparency is maintained throughout in selecting the beneficiaries and doling out financial aid. “Officials of the Directorate of Rural Development, BDO and the Village Panchayath President sit together and select the beneficiaries. The Gram Sabha has to approve the list of beneficiaries,” Paneerselvam explained.
Dhanaseeli Jayakumar, assistant project director, Tiruchirappalli, said 53 Green Houses are being built exclusively for the Narikuravar, a community of nomads. There are housewives like Flora Mary who could not make use of this scheme. “My husband is an alcoholic and hence, it is difficult to manage the house construction with him around,” said Mary.
Though the union government had launched the Indira Awaz Yojana (IAY) scheme, people in Tamil Nadu prefer the Green Homes for their safety and security. “The IAY has inherent weaknesses because of the reservation scheme. This financial year, we saw more people applying for houses under Green Homes,” said Paneerslevam.
Jayalalithaa has set a target of 3,00,000 houses to be built during the 2011-2016 period. A senior DRDA official told The Pioneer that 1,20,000 houses have been built all over Tamil Nadu in the last two years. Taking into account inflation and hike of commodities, the State government is periodically revising the budget allocation for the Green House scheme, described as the first of its kind project in the country.
EOM