No decision to dismantle LIFE Mission housing project, says LSG minister K M Shaji

Kozhikode: Local self govt minister K M Shaji said the UDF govt has not taken any decision to disband the LIFE Mission housing scheme. Shaji told reporters in Malappuram that many of the powers vested with grama sabhas in panchayats — envisioned as the true reflection of Gandhian gram swaraj — had been taken away over the past 10 years."When we say those powers will be restored, it does not mean the LIFE Mission will be scrapped. We have never said such a thing," he said.Shaji said the new govt was not aiming to dismantle projects launched by the previous dispensation. "Govt is a continuum. When a new govt comes to power, it cannot simply destroy projects implemented over five or 10 years and replace them with entirely new ones. That is not how governance works. But we will move forward by correcting shortcomings wherever needed," Shaji said.He added that the UDF had highlighted certain issues related to the previous govt before the people and secured their mandate on that basis. "We will have our own approach towards those matters. But there will be no move to demolish every project introduced by the previous govt, rename them and launch them afresh," Shaji said.CPM state secretariat had warned of statewide agitation if the govt fails to backtrack from what it called a ‘politically motivated and anti-people' decision to scrap the LIFE Mission. The party argued that scrapping the mission would shatter the dreams of hundreds of thousands of underprivileged families. CPM noted that LIFE Mission has delivered over 5,00,000 homes across Kerala. Currently, more than 1,00,000 houses are in various stages of construction.