Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board Managing Director M. Govinda Rao refuted the allegations that the board was trying to abdicate its responsibility and said that the Nam Kudiyiruppu, Nam Poruppu (Our tenements, our responsibility) was aimed at encouraging a sense of belonging and responsibility.
Stating that the maintenance charges were fixed at ₹750 a month for buildings with lifts because of the salaries to be paid to lift operators, he pointed out that that the collected amount would be fully under the control of the residents’ welfare associations (RWAs).
“The board is not collecting the money. It is the residents’ money. Once the RWAs begin to function, they will collect and manage the money, not the board,” he said and added that the existing system of the board being responsible for all the maintenance work was not sustainable in the long run.
According to the scheme, the board will credit a matching grant of the maintenance money collected by the residents to the account of the association. The associations can use this money for routine and minor maintenance work. They can contribute for additional infrastructure to be set up, for which the board will meet 50% of the expenses.
Acknowledging that there are teething troubles in forming the RWAs, he said the Board was conducting training and working closely with the community to sort out the issue. He said in each site of the board where tenements were located, one RWA will be developed as a model association.
