Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) authorities evicted 30 shanties situated at the risky foothills of Matijharna area at Lalkhan Bazar yesterday. Sources said the CCC is evicting the houses to save the people, who are living at the foothills risking their lives, and to avert repetition of the landslide that claimed a total of 127 lives on June 11 in Chittagong last year. Local Ward Commissioner Monwara Begum Moni said they are conducting the drive through forming a committee Matijharna Samaj Unnayan Committee- comprising the house-owners and locals.

Nagar Unnayan Committee (NUC) of the housing and public works ministry at a seminar yesterday proposed to start housing projects in the city to meet the housing needs especially for the poor, low income and middle income groups in a planned manner. Prof Nazrul Islam of the NUC presented a study paper titled 'A proposal for a housing development programme in Dhaka city' along with architect Salma A Shafi at the seminar at the auditorium of the Department of Public Works with its Secretary ASM Rashidul Hai in the chair.

Residents of Sirsaim-Tivim have unanimously resolved to oppose mega housing projects in their village. At a largely attended Gram Sabha on Sunday, the villagers demanded the revocation of a construction licence issued to a mega housing project at Walkeshwar vaddo near Bodiem-Tivim. The panchayat had issued the licence for the construction of a project, comprising 22 bungalows, 10 apartments, one tennis court and two swimming pools.

The South Goa Zilla Panchayat has resolved to ask the government not to allow mega projects in the State's countryside without taking into account the infrastructure. It was also resolved that all mega projects should be mandatorily placed before the gram sabha meetings before granting approval. Initiating the discussion on the burning issue, Chinchinim Zilla member, Joe Dias said the villages suffered from inadequate infrastructure such as water and power and wondered what would be the situation once these big housing projects takes concrete shape.

Hospet, a small town around 350 km from Bangalore, is perennially cloaked in a red dust that emanates from the scores of pit iron ore mines that dot the area. According to numerous watchdog groups, such as

Agitation against anti-mega housing projects seems to have spread to the hinterland village of Curtorim in Salcete. Opposition is brewing against a housing project mooted by a Margao-based building in the village, with local citizens mobilizing the people to scrap the project. In fact, a signature campaign is on in the village since the last few days, with locals saying the mega housing project would affect the infrastructure in a big way.

The city topped in the implementation of Jawaharlar Nehru Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). With abundant funds available the execution of the projects is going at a fast pace. According to sources, after Ahmadabad, Vijayawada stands in the best position in following the guidelines of the mission in the implementation of various projects in urban areas. The city has also received accolades as it has successfully implemented projects like e-governance, double-entry accounting, collection of more than 95 per cent of property tax and funds allocation for urban poor.

Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan said here on Wednesday that the Left Democratic Front government would launch many new projects this month in connection with the second anniversary of his government. Briefing presspersons on Cabinet decisions, the Chief Minister said the proceedings to write off loans up to Rs.25,000 taken by 41,000 farmers in Wayanad would begin this month. All pupils up to eighth standard will get textbooks free from this year.