A cross-section of construction workers in Chennai has urged the State government to allot housing within the city limits, saying years of work and repeated representations have still left many of them without a roof over their heads.
A construction workers’ union has sought houses for 21 homeless members of the Tamil Nadu Construction Workers’ Welfare Board. They were reportedly informed the housing could be allotted only in neighbouring districts due to a lack of options within the city.
In a representation submitted to the Secretary of the Housing and Urban Development Department, the Nirman Mazdoor Panchayat Sangam (Construction Workers Union) said while the Welfare Board’s housing assistance scheme — which provides ₹4 lakh per beneficiary — has benefited workers in rural areas and has been cited as a model by other States, construction workers living and working in Chennai continue to remain without housing.
Referring to a government order passed in January 2022, the union said it had applied for housing for 21 board-registered construction workers in the city. It added allotments outside the city will adversely affect the workers’ livelihoods, as their employment depends on proximity to construction sites.
