In order to make Tamil Nadu ‘hut-free’ by 2030, the state government has announced it would introduce ‘Kalaignarin Kanavu’ Illam scheme, named after former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi. Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu, while announcing the budget on Monday, February 19, said Rs 3,500 crore has been earmarked for the scheme and that eight lakh houses will be constructed in the next six years in rural areas. In the first phase of the project, houses for one lakh families would be constructed by the end of next year.
In his speech, Thangam Thennarasu said that the recent survey conducted by the government revealed that around eight lakh families in rural areas live in huts. He further mentioned that one lakh houses will be constructed in the upcoming year, and estimated that each unit would cost around Rs 3.50 lakh. To construct 1 lakh houses, the government has announced Rs 3,500 crores.
The selected beneficiaries will be provided with the house sites in case they are landless and funds for construction will be directly deposited into the beneficiaries' bank accounts. The scheme is named after Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader and former chief minister of Tamil Nadu M Karunanidhi. Karunanidhi introduced a pioneering initiative of constructing permanent houses for the hut-dwellers in rural areas back in 1975. Subsequently during his regime, 'Kalaignar Veedu Vazhangum Thittam' was launched in 2010, aimed to achieve the goal of a hut-free Tamil Nadu.
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