Home for Joy's mother, land cost not to exceed Rs 2.5 lakh, says Govt

The state government has issued an order sanctioning construction of house for the mother of cleaning worker Joy who died while cleaning Amayizhanjan canal. According to the order, Thiruvananthapuram city corporation can utilise own fund subject to subsidy guidelines to construct the house.

Thiruvananthapuram district panchayat has been entrusted with the responsibility to purchase land for the construction of the house. The government has laid down conditions for the purchase of land. Maximum value of the land to be purchased shall be within Rs 2.5 lakh. The measure of the land shall be up to 5 cents and shall not be less than 3 cents.

This means that the panchayat will have to identify a plot measuring 3-5 cents of land which can be bought at a cumulative cost of Rs 2.5 lakh. District panchayat authorities said that the housing scheme named 'Mannum veedum' has become difficult to implement owing to soaring land prices and conditions in fixing the maximum value of land to be purchased. Authorities hinted that they may have to go for sponsorship to purchase a suitable parcel of land. The city corporation will also have to go by subsidy guidelines in fixing the construction cost of the house.

The city corporation which came under flak following the tragic death of Joy had decided to build a home for Joy's mother. Mayor Arya Rajendran had said that the civic body would do everything possible to help his family. Parassala MLA C K Hareendran had assured all assistance to identify the land suitable for the construction of house, Arya Rajendran had said in a press note.

Joy, 47, went missing in July while clearing the waste in Amayizhanjan canal at Thampanoor. His body was later found under Uppilamoodu bridge at Pazhvangadi.