Along with LIFE scheme, ensuring housing for the elderly is also a priority of the government, Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal said here on Sunday.
He was inaugurating Swapnakoodu, a housing project that will be jointly implemented by Kollam district panchayat and Kerala State Housing Board (KSHB), at Kottarakara municipal ground.
“Developing elderly-friendly housing has been envisaged in the State Budget. The aim is to fulfil the dream of senior citizen by providing them a roof over their heads. Coming to the LIFE project, four lakh houses were constructed in a period of seven-and-a-half years. The target is to take this to five lakh houses in the next two years,” said the Minister.
The district panchayat will be constructing houses for 75 families in Kollam as part of the Swapnakoodu housing project. People living in extreme poverty are the beneficiaries of the project and ₹9.6 lakh is the cost to build each unit. Of this, Kollam district panchayat and KSHB will spend ₹5.7 lakh and ₹3.8 lakh respectively. The 437 sq. ft. houses will have 2 bedrooms, kitchen, hall and attached toilet.
“By fulfilling common man’s wishes through such schemes the government has proved its commitment,” said Minister for Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development J. Chinchurani who was the chief guest at the event. While district panchayat president P.K. Gopan presided over the function, Kottarakkara municipal chairman S.R. Ramesh, vice president Sreeja Harish, Housing Board chairman P.P. Suneer, panchayat members and officials were also present.
