Sikkim Cabinet approves new housing projects for flood-hit people

EOI, GANGTOK, OCTOBER 18, 2023 : In a meeting on Tuesday evening, the Sikkim Cabinet decided to introduce two new housing schemes to alleviate the loss and suffering suffered by the people in the flash flood. 

Among them was “Sikkim Punarvaas Awaas Yojana,” under which 2,100 houses would be constructed, in a safe and suitable location, and allocated to the owners of houses that had been totally washed away in the Teesta flash floods and the owners of houses that had been severely damaged by the floods and were no more inhabitable. 

The government would construct these houses on government land or land donated or acquired for this purpose. 

The other was “Sikkim Janta Housing Colony,” under which 2,000 Houses would be constructed in a safe and suitable location, to rehabilitate the tenants of houses that had been totally washed away in the Teesta flash floods and tenants of houses that had been severely damaged by the floods and were no more inhabitable. These tenants would be allotted houses under this scheme on rent. 

However, no rent would be charged by the government for the first three years of allotment. On completion of three years, rent as assessed by the government would be payable by the allottees. 

The severely and partially damaged houses would be inspected by a technical team which would assess the stability of these houses and certify whether these houses were habitable or not. 

To be eligible for both these schemes, the beneficiaries should be in possession of Sikkim Subject Certificate or Certificate of Identification or Parcha of landed property anywhere in Sikkim, Voter Card or Residential Certificate of Sikkim. 

The construction of houses under the schemes would follow the same design and estimate of Sikkim Garib Awas Yojana. For immediate support and assistance to the owners of such houses and to the tenants who were staying in those houses, the government would consider granting rent for three months at the rate of Rs. 5000 per month to enable the victims at the relief camps to move to a rented accommodation. 

4. In addition, the Government would provide basic household items like kitchen utensils, gas stove, gas cylinder, mattress, blankets and other daily household items to help the victims settle down in the rented accommodation. 

The State Government appealed to all the house owners in these areas not to increase the rental charges beyond the normal market rate. Action would be taken under Disaster Management Act against those house owners who would charge exorbitant rent at this hour of crisis. 

After the clearance of debris and muck at the affected areas the Building & Housing Department would carry out a stability study to verify and confirm whether the damaged houses were fit for habitation or not. 

The Roads & Bridges Department along with Rural Development Department and Border Road Organization would carry out a study to ascertain the stability of bridges affected by the flashflood.. 

The District Collectors would set up camps at the affected areas for issue of Voter Card, Aadhaar Card, Land Parcha, Ration Card, Birth Certificate, Certificate of Identification, Community Certificate, 

Trade License for those victims who had lost these documents in the flood. To support the students who have lost all their belongings in the flash flood, the government would provide a one-time grant of Rs.10,000 per student who had been genuinely affected for the purchase of new uniforms and note book