 | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1971 |
| Jurisdiction | Government of Kerala |
| Headquarters | Thiruvananthapuram |
| Minister responsible |
|
| Agency executives |
|
| Website | www |
Kerala State Housing Board (Abbreviation: KSHB) is a Kerala [2] [3] governmental group that provides direction and planning in housing activities. It was established under Act 19 of 1971.
Before the board, governmental and non-governmental agencies executed house building projects without co-ordination. Housing Minister's Conferences in 1957 and in 1961 recommended the establishment of a Housing Board/Corporation in every state. The Trivandrum City Improvement Trust Act in 1960 provided the framing and execution of housing projects to the city of Trivandrum. The town planning act 1108 (Act IV of 1108) applies only to the city of Travancore-Cochin area while the Madras Town Planning Act, 1920 (Madras Act VII of 1920), applies to the Malabar area. They contain certain provisions for framing and executing housing projects. Those provisions proved inadequate to meet the requirements.
Hence the Government considered it necessary to enact a comprehensive law applicable to the whole State providing organized direction and planning in the preparation and execution of housing and improvement projects and for a State Housing Board to co-ordinate the State's various housing projects. The Kerala State Housing Board Ordinance, 1970 (24 of 1970) was enacted and the Housing Board was constituted in 1971, [4] by merging Trivandrum City Improvement Trust.
The Housing Board is governed by a Director Board headed by a Chair. Official members are appointed by the Government of Kerala and non-official members are nominated by the State Government. The Housing Commissioner is the ex-officer Secretary of the Kerala State Housing Board. Administration is vested in the Board, constituting 17 members, namely the Chair, Housing Commissioner cum ex-officer secretary, 4 official members and 11 non-official members. The KSHB consists of 39 offices with its head office at Thiruvananthapuram. The three Regional offices are at Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikkode and 14 division offices in all 14 districts. Two project divisions are in Trivandrum and Kochi. The Technical wing consists of 175 Engineers led by the Chief Engineer while the ministerial wing consists of 350 officers/ staff up to the Additional Secretary.
KSHB implemented various housing construction and lending projects for various income groups. It includes Economically Weaker Section (EWS), Low Income Group (LIG), Middle Income Group (MIG) and High Income Group (HIG). It further organized general improvement projects such as commercial office complexes, Government-directed rental housing, slum improvement, housing complex for EWS, rehabilitation housing, revenue towers etc.
| Housing projects | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| project | No. of Units | Remarks | ||
| M N One Lakh Housing project | 12822 | Renovation of houses constructed in 1971-72 | ||
| Rajiv One Million Housing project | 5000 | in 120 Panchayat | ||
| Latur Rehabilitation project | 168 | For earthquake victims in Maharashtra | ||
| Slum Clearance project-Chengalchoola | 418 | Chengalchoola in Thiruvananthapuram | ||
| Tsunami Housing project | 3624 | |||
| Wayanadu ST | 270 | |||
| SC Housing project | 1672 | |||
| Rehabilitation project Bangladesh Colony | 216 | Santhinagar Kozhikode | ||
This project was launched in early 1972. It was the first major attempt in India to provide adequate accommodation to very poor, landless agricultural labour families who had not received homesteads under the Kerala Land Reforms Act, 1963 as amended in 1969. [5] The entire amount spent for the purchase of land and development of house-sites was received as subsidy from the Government of India. [6]
A housing project was formed in the 11th five-year plan, under 2nd years programme (2008-2009). It was proposed to construct residential flats on government land for the displaced labourers in the EWS of urban area. The sites were Thrikkakara, Ernakulam and Poojappura, Trivandrum. [6]
Rajiv One Million Housing Project was introduced in 1971. Under this project 1% of houses constructed for EWS was reserved for Physically Handicapped Persons. [6] [7]
A tsunami affected Kerala coastal areas in 2004. KSHB was designated as the lead agency for the provision of coastal housing and re-settlement. The Government entrusted the construction of houses to KSHB. The Board constructed 1204 houses at Thiruvananthapuram (31), Kasaragod (270), Kannur (128), Kozhikode (567), Malappuram (208), temporary shelters at Kollam (200). [6] [8]
The project is to give financial assistance for homeless EWS in urban and rural areas. Assistance was to be given to persons owning at least 2 cents of land to construct a house by themselves. The project has an option to associate Voluntary Agencies and NGOs to assist the construction. [6]
Many projects were further implemented to waive housing loans in 2009. [9]
In 2017 the KSHB planned to launch a special project for Non-Resident Keralites (NoRKs) employed abroad. The government came out with a package to provide accommodations for the five-lakh odd homeless in the State. The project took cues from the one lakh housing project, Laksham Veedu Padhathi. [10]
Thiruvananthapuram, also known by its former name Trivandrum, is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala. It is the most populous city in Kerala with a population of 957,730 as of 2011. The encompassing urban agglomeration population is around 1.68 million. Located on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland, Thiruvananthapuram is a major information technology hub in Kerala and contributes 55% of the state's software exports as of 2016. Referred to by Mahatma Gandhi as the "Evergreen city of India", the city is characterised by its undulating terrain of low coastal hills.
Attingal is a municipality in Thiruvananthapuram metropolitan area in Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala state, India. It was the location of the Attingal kingdom, under Travancore. It is the headquarters of Chirayinkeezhu Taluk, and the important government institutions of the taluk such as the Taluk office, court complex, office of the deputy superintendent of Police, civil station, and treasuries are situated in Attingal. It is one of the oldest municipalities of Kerala which was constituted prior to its independence in 1924. In 1914 itself Attingal Town Improvement Authority (TIA) was formed which was the term used before the municipality regulation act of 1922. Attingal Town is located 25 kilometres (16 mi) north of Thiruvananthapuram. Attingal is the 3rd densely populated municipality in the district.
Chelat Achutha Menon was the Chief Minister of Kerala state for two terms. The first term was from 1 November 1969 to 1 August 1970 and the second 4 October 1970 to 25 March 1977. He was instrumental in starting number of institutions and development projects in Kerala. Achutha Menon was the first politician who adorned the chief ministership of Kerala for two consecutive terms. He led the then United Front to a thumping electoral victory in Kerala when Congress party was routed in elections in other parts of India.
The economy of Kerala is the 9th largest in India, with an annual gross state product (GSP) of ₹9.78 lakh crore in 2020–2021. Per-capita GSP of Kerala during the same period is ₹205,484 (US$2,773.08), the sixth largest in India. In 2019–20, the tertiary sector contributed around 63% of the state's GSVA, compared to 28% by secondary sector, and 8% by primary sector.
The Thiruvananthapuram - Shoranur canal is a historic canal in India, from Trivandrum to Shoranur. It was one of the most arterial transportation mode in erstwhile Travancore princely state. Most of the trade, commerce and freight traffic in Travancore used to happen through this canal. The canal used to pass through rice bowl of the state, Kuttanad, centre of Coir trade i.e. Alappuzha, centre of Cashew business, Kollam, Changanassery market, strategic Thevally, Kayamkulam, Varkala etc. and used to connect Thiruvithamkoor with Cochin State and Malabar.
The Regional Cancer Centre (RCC) at Thiruvananthapuram is a cancer care hospital and research centre. RCC was established in 1981 by the Government of Kerala and the Government of India. It is located in the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College campus in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of the state of Kerala. It was established as an expansion of the Radiation Therapy / Radiotherapy department of Medical College Trivandrum. It is a tertiary care center for the managements of all types of cancers. The clinics are mainly on Haematology, Lymphoreticular, soft tissue, bone, head and neck, breast, CNS, gynaecological, urinary, chest, gastro, paediatric oncology and thyroid.
Kerala, a state in Southern India, has a network of 11 National Highways, 72 State Highways and many district roads.
Sooranad P. N. Kunjan Pillai was an Indian researcher, lexicographer, poet, essayist, literary critic, orator, grammarian, educationist, and scholar of the Malayalam language, best remembered for his contributions in compiling Malayala Maha Nighantu, a lexicon. The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest civilian honour of the Padmashri in 1984 for his contribution to Malayalam literature and education. He was also a recipient of the Vallathol Award in 1992 and when the Government of Kerala instituted the Ezhuthachan Puraskaram, their highest literary honour in 1993, he received the inaugural award.
The West Coast Canal or National Waterway No 3 is a 205 km (127 mi) long inland navigational route located in Kerala, India, which runs from Kollam to Kottapuram. It was declared a National Waterway in 1993. In addition to the main stretch, Champakara and Udyogmandal canals are navigable and connect the industrial centers of Kochi to Kochi port Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) under the Ministry of Shipping is coordinating the task for developing, monitoring and administering national waterways. It is the first National Waterway in the country with 24-hour navigation facilities along the entire stretch. It has been extended to Kozhikode by the National Waterways Act, 2016. The National Waterway 3 mainly passes through the previous Thiruvananthapuram–Shoranur canal.
State Highway 2 is a State Highway in Kerala, India that starts from Thiruvananthapuram Peroorkada and ends near Thenmala Kollam by joining with Kollam-Tirumangalam NH-744. The highway is 73.2 km long. The major towns in this highway are Nedumangad, Palode and Kulathupuzha. It is a major inter state highway road connecting Thiruvananthapuram the Capital City of Kerala to Shenkottai and Madurai in Tamil Nadu. In 2016 NHAI approved in principle this road as National highway.
The Indian city of Thiruvananthapuram has a well-developed transport infrastructure. The city and its suburbs may be traversed using road and rail. Within the city, city buses, taxis and auto rickshaws provide mobility. Scooters and motorcycles are the favored means of personal transport. Ola, Uber and other taxi services operate there.
Thiruvananthapuram Railway Division (TVC) is one of the six administrative divisions of the Southern Railway, Indian Railways. It has its headquarters at Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of the state of Kerala, India. Thiruvananthapuram Division was formed on 2 October 1979 which serves the eight districts of southern part of the Kerala, Kanniyakumari district and some parts of Tirunelveli District in Tamil Nadu. With 104 stations in its territorial jurisdiction, it is the fourth largest out of six divisions in Southern Railway. It is the southernmost railway division of India and manages 625 km of route track and 108 railway stations in the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. This division operates the most number of long distance trains in India. The major stations of the division are Thiruvananthapuram Central, Ernakulam Junction, Kollam Junction, Thrissur, Kottayam, Ernakulam Town, Chengannur, Kayamkulam, Aluva, Nagercoil Junction, Kanniyakumari, Alappuzha, Changanasseri, Tiruvalla, Kochuveli, Varkala,Mavelikara.
Tangasseri or Thangassery is a heavily populated beach area on the shores of the Arabian Sea in Kollam city, Kerala, India.
Panakkattodil Devi Temple is a Hindu temple in Chavara Thekkumbhagom village in Kollam district of the Indian state of Kerala. Primary deity of this temple is Durga. The temple is managed by the Travancore Devaswom Board, Kerala. The Thalappoli in 'Meda Bharani' and the annual festival during the months of April and May are popular.
Gandhi Nagar is one of the two earliest planned housing colonies in Kadavanthra region of Kochi city in the state of Kerala, India. It was developed by the end of the 1970s by Greater Cochin Development Authority, the statutory body overseeing the development of Kochi. What is now Gandhi Nagar was, in the 1970s, abandoned paddy fields, and wet lands. The land was developed by filling with earth from the hills of Kakkanad, and a planned housing colony was developed.
Kollam Junction railway station is a junction station situated in the city of Kollam in Kerala, India. It is the second largest railway station in Kerala in terms of area and largest in terms of number of tracks and one of the oldest railway stations in the state. It is also the second busiest railway station in Kerala in terms of trains handled per day. World's third longest railway platform is situated at Kollam railway station.
Kollam Municipal Corporation (KMC) is an ISO 9001:2015 certified civic body that governs the city of Kollam in the Indian state of Kerala. It is the fourth-largest city corporation by population in the state, and the fifth-largest by area. Constituted in 1903 it was officially recognized as a city corporation in 2000. The body governs an area of 73.03 square kilometres (28.20 sq mi) centered at Kollam, with about 55 divisions and a population of 397,419.
The Asramam Maidanam or Ashramam Maithanam is an urban park, or maidhanam, in the city of Kollam, in Kerala, India. At 72 acres (29 ha), it is the largest open space within Kerala Municipal Corporation limits. The maidan is considered one of the green lungs of the city and regularly hosts the city's main cultural and sports events. It holds an adventure park children's park, picnic village, British Residency and mangrove forests making it an important tourism spot in the city.
Transport in Kollam includes various modes of road, rail and water transportation in the city and its suburbs. State-owned Kerala State Road Transport Corporation buses, private buses, Indian Railways, state-owned Kerala State Water Transport Department boats & ferry, taxis and auto rickshaws are serving the city of Kollam. The city had a strong commercial reputation since the days of the Phoenicians and Romans. Ibn Battuta mentioned Kollam Port as one of the five Indian ports he had seen during the course of his twenty-four year travels.
Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) is an initiative by the Government of India in which affordable housing will be provided to the urban poor with a target of building 2 crore affordable houses by 31 March 2022. It has two components: Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana(Urban) (PMAY-U) for the urban poor and Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana (Gramin) for the rural poor. This scheme is converged with other schemes to ensure houses have a toilet, Saubhagya Yojana electricity connection, Ujjwala Yojana LPG connection, access to drinking water and Jan Dhan banking facilities, etc. Total 1 crore homes are approved against total demand of 1.12 crore as of 28 December 2019.