Team Herald
VASCO: Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Friday informed that the government would start the rehabilitation process of Zuarinagar slums by December 2017.
Cautioning the slum dwellers not to fall prey to rumours, he said the government would first rehabilitate slum dwellers by providing them housing facility and only then the process of clearing the existing structures would take place.
Parrikar was addressing the Zuarinagar slum dwellers after inaugurating Sewerage Treatment Plant constructed for Zuarinagar using NTS Phytorid Technology on Friday. PWD Minister Sudin Dhavlikar, Cortalim MLA Alina Saldanha, Sancoale Sarpanch Girish Pillai besides other officials of the State administration were present on the occasion.
“In coming days various major changes will be observed in slum dwelling areas of Birla-Zuarinagar. Alina Saldanha is currently the chairman of Rehabilitation board. Till now the board is not fully operational, but in the next 15 days things will set right and by December we would start the process to rehabilitate Zuarinagar slums though Rehabilitation board,” Parrikar said.
Cautioning people of Birla-Zuarinagar not to fall prey to rumours that their structures would be demolished before they are provided housing, Parrikar said, “It is a common practice to make people scare.” He assured that the slum dwellers would be rehabilitated first and only then “the government will go ahead with clearing existing structures.”
“Our aim is to provide better housing facilities, clean surrounding and better amenities to the people of Zuarinagar slums and this will surely become a reality. We only need cooperation from the people and local Panchayat body and government will extend all possible help in making this rehabilitation dream of people a reality,” he added.
PWD Minister Sudin Dhavalikar said, “The state government has already provided three out of total five proposed community toilets at Zuarinagar slum and efforts are on to complete the work of remaining two community toilets.”
He informed that although the government wanted to provide toilets to all households at Zuarinagar, people don’t come forward to take such benefit since most of the houses at Zuarinagar slum are rental premises.
“We have also planned to connect all houses in Zuarinagar slum to the sewerage system and the work for the same would kick start soon,” he informed.
