Friday, Apr 02, 2010
Students will identify beneficiaries without any fear or favour: Mayor

Tirunelveli: With a view to improve slums under the Centre's Integrated Housing and Slum Development Programme, the Tirunelveli corporation has decided to rope in students of Manonmaniam Sundaranar University to identify the beneficiaries.

Corporation Commissioner K. Baskaran and Registrar of Manonmaniam Sundaranar University S. Manickam signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in this connection on Wednesday. As per the 2001-census, there are 69 slums within the corporation limits and this number might have increased substantially owing to migration of people from various parts of the State in the last nine years.

The students will ascertain the exact number of slums, number of huts, living standard of slum dwellers, their economic status and civic infrastructure.

Rs. 3.70 lakh
The corporation, which has agreed to pay Rs. 3.70 lakh to the university for the survey, handed over Rs. 1.80 lakh immediately after the MoU was signed.

The local body would provide students with the software required for creating the database.

“The students,, after holding a meeting with stakeholders, are expected to complete the exercise within two months,” said Mr. Baskaran.

“Since we believe that the students will identify the beneficiaries without any fear or favour, we've decided to entrust the task with them,” said Mayor A.L. Subramanian, who was present.