Half of Chennai city lives in rented homes

Chennai: First-ever housing census shows only 47.2% households live in own property

Data released by the Directorate of Census Operations shows that nearly 53 per cent households in Chennai district lived in homes that did not belong to them something that is bound to make the tenant-enumeration drive by the city police challenging.

According to the first House Listing and Housing Census released by Director of Census Operations (Tamil Nadu) S. Gopalakrishnan on Tuesday, the number of households that live in their own properties in Chennai district is just 47.2 per cent.

Chennai district, with over 5.65 lakh tenant households, is abode of half of the total rented households in and around Chennai Metropolitan Area.

The district has a total of 11.06 lakh households, while Kancheepuram has 9.93 lakh and Tiruvallur 9.38 lakh.

While the percentage of rented households in the State is 23.4, over 51.1 per cent of households in Chennai district, 31.1 per cent in Kancheepuram and 28.3 per cent in Tiruvallur live in rented accommodations.

As per the report, a household in census is defined as a group of persons who normally live together and take their meals from a common kitchen. The persons in a household may be related or unrelated or a mix of both.

So far, the city police have received just 22,000 filled-in tenant information forms under the enumeration drive that began on February 3.

Most forms were received by the West Zone of Chennai Police, which also includes many neighbourhoods in Tiruvallur district. Police stations in the South Zone, which includes parts of Kancheepuram district, have also received a large number of the forms.

Collection of the forms in central areas of Chennai district is yet to gather momentum, even though lakhs of households in the area live in rented buildings.

Following the seizure of a country-made handgun and bullets from a house rented by an engineering college student in Injambakkam recently, police have intensified their call to all house-owners to cooperate with police and submit the forms.

The forms are being filled by residents and submitted to the nearest police stations. The information is being used to build a database and is likely to be a tool for better policing.

The forms are distributed in all police stations and are also available online at www.tnpolice.gov.in.

Apart from owned and rented households, a third category of residents who neither own a house nor reside in rented households in the city has also been identified in the house listing census.

This category constitutes mostly of a microscopic minority of workers who are given free accommodation by business establishments. Only 1.6 per cent of households in Chennai district have been included in this category by the Directorate of Census Operations.

Tiruvallur district has 1.1 per cent and Kancheepuram has 1.2 per cent of such households.

Source: Thehindu

Finance Minister presents revenue extra budget, focus on economic carefulness

Proposing new tax measures to mobilize additional revenue Rs 1500 crore, while maintaining the focus on fiscal prudence, Minister of Finance of Panneerselvam today presented the Rs 2, 376.07 crore budget surplus income promise to keep the fiscal deficit within three percent of GSDP as agent of the 13th Finance Commission.

Presentation of the second budget of the AIADMK Government, headed by Minister j. Jayalalithaa, said Mr. Panneerselvam, the various measures taken by the Government led to the improvement of the financial situation of the State "which was in ruins when this Government took office in May 2011." Revised budget estimates for the 2011-12 showed the surplus proceeds of Rs 173.87 crore.

The Government, however, will correct the script record surplus proceeds of Rs 536.54 crore for the period. Budget estimates for the 2012-2013 have been designed to further improve the financial situation of the State Government, he said. The fiscal deficit is estimated at 19, Rs 832.13 crore, representing the 2.87% of the GSDP fewer than three percent norm laid down 13th Finance Commission.

Outline of new tax measures to mobilize additional revenue Rs 1500 crore for the implementation of the various social programmers, Mr. Panneerselvam has proposed hiking the SALES TAX on alcohol to 14,5%, withdrawal of the exemption from VAT of vegetable oils and rationalize taxes on tourist taxi, maxi cabs, services of private vehicles, construction equipment of the vehicle in addition to doubling fees in advance for the blocking of classy numbers.

Mr. Panneereselvam also announced the implementation of the revised general principles for the valuation of properties with effect from the 1. April 2012. The Minister also promised to reduce the loan at the same time move to capital expenditure, has increased the allocation for that of Rs 16 crore in the revised estimates 388.34 for Rs 20, 856.08 crore in the budget estimates to 2012-13. 2011-12, which represents an increase of 27%?

In borrowings said Mr. Panneerselvam whilst the right loans for the year 2012-13 is 20,716 Rs crore, the Government intends to restrict. Outstanding public debt, including further commitments in support of the Fund will be Rs 1.35 crores, 060.47 like to 31. March 2013 constitutes only 19.56% of GSDP. However, various subsidies and increased social measures to control the Tamil Nadu Government will increase the law on subsidies and grants.

Whereas it was Finance Minister foresees growth of about 15 percent of the 2013-14 and 2014-15 for subsidies and grants. To add a note of caution, said Mr. Panneerselvam that revenue receipts may vary because of the declining trends in economic growth.

However, he was convinced of the State, the excess of the revenue and fiscal deficit within three percent of GSDP, even if a point three percent decline in the rate of growth of income revenues in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15. He said that the State will reach all the objectives fixed by the 13th finance during the year 2012-13 and continue its record in the following budget years.

CHENNAI POWER SHUTDOWN TOMORROW ON 28th MARCH 2012

KALADIPET AREA : Ennore Express road (Tolgate to Pattinatharkoil),T.H.road, (Tolgate to Thiruvottiyur Market), Sathankadu high road to Thiruvottiyur Railway station.

NAPPALAYAM AREA : Manali new town, SIDCO Indl. Estate, Vichoor,Periya Echanguhi, Ponniamman nagar, Ganapathy nagar, Vichoor road, Nappalayam, Vellivayalchavdi, Kondakkarai, Kuruvimedu.

DURAINALLORE AREA : Kavaraipettai, Thandalachery, Puduvoyal,Peruvoyal, Panpakkam, Sompattu, Paranambedu, Kilikodi, Arani, Durainallore, Medhur,Devambedu.

PONNERI AREA : Sirupuzhal Pettai, Madarpakkam,Arampakkam,Kannankotai, Eguvarpalayam.

GUMMIDIPOONDI AREA : Part of Gummidipoondi Sipcot, Elavoor, Pethikuppam.

PANJETTY AREA : Panjetty, Alinjivakkam, Thatchoor, Irulipattu,
Peravellore, Ponneri, Keelmeni.

CHEPAUK AREA : T.V.Station, Royapettah, Chendaderipet, Triplicane, PWD
complex, Presidency college, Big st, Sydoji st & lane, Ranganathan st, D.V.Naidu st, Khanabagh st & lane, Butchibabu st, T.H.road, Aiyapillar st, Akbar sahib st, OVM st, Mosque st, Lal Md. St & lane, Lal begum st, Muftiamriullah st, Canal road, MAC stadium.

TRIPLICANE AREA : Kamarajr st, Dr.Besant road, H.R.koil st, Ayothikuppam, Singarachari st, Sunkuwar st, V.R.Pillai st, South Mada st, T.P.koil st, B.V.Naidu st, Car st, Nalla Thambi st, Nadukuppam, Gajapathylala st, Irrusappan st, Rotary nagar, Duwaraga nagar, Gokulam colony, Ragavanaicker Thottam, Mayandi colony, V.S.V.koil st, Mariyappan st, Karaneeshwarar st, G.N.chetty st.

PONDESWARAM AREA : Pondeswaram, Veerpuram, Vellachery, Kadhavur, Kariapalayam, Kilkondaiar, Komakkambedu, Magaral, Thamaraipakkam, Koduvalli.