Let Us Resolve Residence Problem

Muslim Murasu, April 2013

Sand, cement, Jalli, brick and labor cost goes through the roof. Middle class, people with yearly income of less than ten lakh rupees, daily wages and those living hand-to-mouth existence live under terrible conditions.
People wallowing in wealth amass land without any limit. Prosperity in six cities in India rides on real estate development. Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Pune and Bangalore have seen rapid expansions.
Building cost has risen three times in the past four years in Chennai. One square feet costs four thousand rupees. It is beyond the reach of lower and middle class sections. People with piles of money take banks on their sides, make their own ground and rules and go for thirty percent profit. Three crore houses are urgently needed.
A construction company announced in 2009 to build twenty lakh houses at one lakh rupees each. It rescinded citing inflation. Construction cost has risen 284 percent in the last ten years. This is the highest in any part of the world.
It is possible to construct at a reasonable price. Construction will cost only fifty percent. But hunting by middlemen, permit fees and land scamsters distort the prices.
Sixty percent of Tamilnadu Muslims are pushed to urban life. Seven lakh houses are needed. Muslims living in rented houses suffer severe problems. Electricity bills are whimsical. Water problems are unmanageable. Houses are not given if they have more than two children. If they change house for some reason, they have to struggle for six months to obtain ration card, voter card and gas connection.
Muslim residence is more important than mosques. Arrangement should be made for the faithful to live a dignified life in a good house. Privatization is the national policy. Approvals for land and construction can be obtained easily if applied in a cooperative, collective way. Project cost can be brought down. Building materials can be procured in bulk at cheap rates.
It is the duty of philanthropists to build own houses for Tamilnadu Muslims at five lakh or ten lakh rupees. Islam’s dignity lies in the dignity of Muslims. Hurry to help them rise.