Centre seeks detailed plan for slum-free urban development

Thiruvananthapuram, Jul 9 : The Centre has asked five City Corporations in Kerala to prepare a detailed plan for slum-free urban development and submit immediately, as part of implementing the ambitious Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY) to address the problems of slum dwellers and urban poor.

This direction was given by Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Aruna Sundarajan, after assessing the progress made by the state in rolling out the RAY in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Kochi, Thrissur and Kozhikode Corporations, official sources said today.

Kudumbashree Mission is the nodal agency for executing the project in the state. 

Surveying and mapping of the existing slums in the five Corporation areas, assessment of the growth of the cities with a 20-year perspective, necessary legislative and administrative changes required for urban land expansion, changes proposed in the town planning regulations, and actions to obtain commensurate lands or virtual lands will be part of the detailed action plans to be submitted to the Centre.

The Joint Secretary said the Centre had decided to spend Rs 5000 crore in the next two years under the Rajiv Awas Yojana across the country. 

The Centre would provide financial assistance to states to assign property rights to slum dwellers for provision of shelter and basic civic and social services for slum re-development and for creation of affordable housing stock under the RAY scheme.

Two hurt after jumping off a running autorickshaw

Kozhikode, Jul 9 : Two girls sustained serious injuries after they jumped out of a moving autorickshaw at Puthiyara in the city last night.

Police said three girls, one hailing from Kannur and the other from Manathawadi, working in a Mall here, had hired the autorickshaw from new bus stand to return home after work.

The two were admitted to a hospital, they said.

The driver of the autorickshaw, Shaji was arrested on a complaint from one of the girls, police added.

Opposition criticises budget decisions

Thiruvananthapuram, Jul 8 : Opposition leader in Kerala Assembly V S Achuthanandan today alleged that the budget could undermine the land reforms in the state.

Talking to newspersons here, he said the development of poor sections and social security of the state would be badly affected by various decisions in the budget.

CPI(M) State Secretary Pinarayi Vijayan alleged that the budget was lacking steps to strengthen agriculture sector and state-owned public undertakings. He alleged that the local self governments were kept away from the decentralisation process adding the formation of many new development authorities could minimise the role of local self governments in the development process. 

The budget was aimed at satisfying certain sections of the society based on their demographic importance, he said adding the budget ignored various sections including women and traditional industries.

Jus K K Narendran passes away

Kochi, Jul 8: Former Kerala High court Judge Justice K K Narendran died here at a private hospital following a brief illness.

He was 87.

He started is legalprofession and took charge as a High Court Judge in 1974 after his 23-year-long teaching profession and he retired from the service in 1985.

Before starting his legal profession, Narendran also worked as a journalist, associated with Dinabandu in 1974.

Born in 1949, he completed his LLB from the

Ernakulam law College from its first batch of LLB and

penned various legal books.

Narendran was the chairman of the commission, which enquired regarding the representation of backward communities in the government service.

He was also appointed as the chairman of creamy layer issue and his report had invited serious controversies.