State orders building over 2K dwelling units at 11 tea gardens

MP | 30 Oct 2023 | Kolkata: Under the ‘Chaa Sundari’ scheme, the state government has recently awarded a work order for construction of another 2851 units at 11 tea gardens, including four in Jalpaiguri and seven in Alipurduar districts, respectively. 

The state government has already finished construction of 1171 single-storied dwelling units at six tea gardens in Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri district under the ‘Chaa Sundari’ scheme and has recently awarded a work order for construction of another 2851 units at 11 tea gardens that includes four in Jalpaiguri and seven in Alipurduar. 

‘Chaa Sundari scheme’, launched in September 2020, is meant to ensure housing facilities for those permanent tea garden workers who do not have their own pucca house. The Housing department is the nodal department which is executing the scheme.

Administrative approval was given for the construction of 4022 single-storied dwelling units at 17 tea gardens during 2020-21 fiscal. The estimated cost of each such dwelling unit with two rooms, one kitchen, one bathroom and a verandah is approximately Rs 5.49 lakh. 

Offsite infrastructure, such as electricity, water supply and social infrastructure, are being provided by departments such as Irrigation, Power and Public Health Engineering. 

About 1171 pucca houses were completed at 17 sites in seven tea gardens at Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri. In January this year, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurated these dwellings. 

Puja Austerity measures adopted due to the COVID situation delayed the process for construction of the remaining 2851 units. 

However, presently the ball has been set rolling with a work order being already given, barring 285 units at Dharanipur tea garden in Jalpaiguri due to legal issues. 

Among the 2851 units, 1842 will come up in seven tea gardens in Alipurduar and 1009 in four tea gardens in Jalpaiguri. The total expenditure will be Rs 197.40 crore. As per the revised DPR, the estimated cost of each single-storied dwelling unit will be Rs 6.18 lakhs. 

Under the scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) for 2023-24 implemented by the Department of Expenditure of the Union Ministry of Finance, an amount of Rs 100 crore has been allocated as Special Assistance for the ‘Chaa Sundari’ housing scheme.

Courtesy & source- Millennium Post

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/state-orders-building-over-2k-dwelling-units-at-11-tea-gardens-538469