Wayanad township project: Construction to begin soon with central govt's loan

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It has been decided to lay the foundation stone of the township for those affected by the Wayanad disaster in March. An order will be issued for land acquisition within two days. Since the Rs 529.50 crore sanctioned by the centre as a loan has to be spent by March 31, construction work will start as quickly as possible. Estimates for 16 projects have been prepared. There will be no delay in starting the construction.

Meanwhile, the centre will be asked to extend the time limit for spending the total loan amount by one year. More financial assistance will also be sought. These matters were decided at a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

The time limit taken to complete each project will be calculated separately. Based on these calculations, it is agreed to request additional time in writing from the centre for the allocation of funds. The Chief Minister has directed the heads of various departments to prepare projects with urgency, keeping in mind the time limit.

The sketch of the township was prepared by KIFCON under KIIFB. The construction of buildings, including houses, will be carried out in a manner that can withstand natural disasters. In addition to Revenue Minister K. Rajan and Chief Secretary Sarada Muraleedharan, the meeting chaired by the Chief Minister was attended by the Additional Chief Secretary of the Finance Department, the Member Secretary of the Disaster Management Department, and secretaries of the departments responsible for the implementation of reconstruction projects.

Second list of beneficiaries ready

• The second list of beneficiaries eligible for houses in the proposed township will be published soon. Revenue Minister K. Rajan informed that the list is ready.
• Thirty lakhs was initially estimated for a house of one thousand square feet. After realising that such an amount will not be needed, concerned persons have been assigned to determine the final amount.
• Construction work will begin once the master plan is approved by the departments. Single-storey houses of 1000 square feet will be built in both the townships. The total land will be divided into clusters. The current understanding is that there will be 20 houses in a cluster.

"The amount for each work will be handed over to the concerned departments. A review meeting will be held again next week to assess the progress of the decisions." - K. Rajan, Revenue Minister