Kerala: Hundreds in distress after LIFE Mission house delays

Several families in Kerala are in distress after their houses construction came to a halt under the LIFE Mission scheme. Kerala is reeling under severe financial crisis, however, the state government has not find any solution to the problems of the people.

Thiruvananthapuram: Hundreds of families who had their old houses demolished in the hopes of moving into newly built homes under the LIFE project are currently homeless. Before the first payment of the fund could be released, the local self-government had asked that existing houses be totally demolished. This left a lot of people with little room to even take care of their fundamental requirements.

Meeting Thangamma and her husband George at Mampathi, Parmala, Ward 19, Kodanchery Panchayat, Kozhikode was the purpose of the journey. The residence is somewhat remote from the road. There's no way to call it home. Now, the only things left here are the ruins of the old, leaky house and the dream of home.

After being allocated under the LIFE scheme and anticipating receiving the first portion, the old house was razed. Everything was demolished, even the floor, and the panchayat received a picture that was taken. However, the payment was delayed. There is currently only this little shade, where Thangamma, her ailing husband George, and their kid Prince have been given life by pulling out a plastic sheet.

According to the new LIFE list in which the final beneficiary list was released in 2022, more than 300 people are eligible for a house in Kodanchery panchayat. With the LIFE project in crisis, people's representatives in panchayats are left with no answers to people's questions.