Kerala govt plans new housing project to resettle fishers, says Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan

The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) government in Kerala plans to launch a new housing project for fishers which would address the “shortcomings” in the existing ‘Punargeham’ initiative, Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan said on Wednesday.

At a post-Cabinet press briefing here, Mr. Satheesan said it has been a long-standing complaint of the fishers that the funds released under Punargeham were insufficient.

One of the flagship projects of the previous CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) government, Punargeham was aimed at relocating fishermen families from within 50 meters of the tidal line. The project was envisioned to resettle families residing in areas exposed to coastal erosion.

Under Punargeham, assistance is provided to purchase 2 to 3 cents of land, build a house, or buy land and house together or identify land and build flats, as was done under government supervision at Muttathara in Thiruvananthapuram district. A beneficiary family is eligible for a maximum of ₹10 lakh.

In the final Budget of the previous LDF government, then Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal had announced that a total number of 3,408 houses have been constructed under the Punargeham scheme. The construction of around 2,000 houses was nearing completion, Mr. Balagopal had said earlier this year.

On Wednesday, Mr. Satheesan indicated that the new project proposed by the UDF government would see a hike in the payment to beneficiaries.