Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday handed over 12,067 newly built houses under the Life Mission scheme. He inaugurated the programme through a video conference. The houses were completed as part of the 100-day programme of the government. 

“Life Mission is not like just any other housing project. It aims to provide houses in which the families can live with dignity,” he said.

The first survey found 3.5 lakh families as landless and houseless. Most of them were poor. They could never realise the dream of owning a house. That was fulfilled by the previous government. 2,62,131 houses were built in the last five years. Rs 8,903 crores spent for the project. It includes the shares of state government, union government, local bodies and HUDCO loans.

“Central schemes like PMAY were merged with Life Mission with a good intention. It was dragged into unnecessary controversies,” he said. 

The Life Mission project was transparent. People tried to diminish the impact of the mission. Some wanted to stop the project in the midway. But they all got a befitting reply in the last Assembly elections, the chief minister said.

As many as 36 apartments are under construction. 17 more are in planning. The government aims to complete five lakh houses in five years, Pinarayi added.

New houses: 12067

State / local bodies - 10058

PMAY Urban - 2009