A Roof For Every Family!

Mauritius Times – 70 Years

On Wednesday the Government made public its housing plans. This is something which the people have been feverishly waiting for since the arrival of the ministerial delegation from London. At the Press Conference the Ministers have provided enough detailed information to satisfy the cyclone victims. Let it be said right from the start that whatever the extent of the miseries created by the cyclones and however impatient the multi-headed opposition might be or wants to be, the fact of the matter is that it does take some time to work out as huge a plan as the one the Government has elaborated. The plan is now on paper only but with the preparations going on and with the Government’s decision to cut red tape “whether bureaucratic or mental” one can safely heave a sigh of relief that in a very near future the housing conditions will be improved.

The complete housing plan will be for the construction of 25,000 houses: 5,000 concrete houses and 20,000 in timber. But under the first part of the programme 17,000 timber houses and 3.000 concrete houses will be built. It is assumed that the building of 20,000 houses will be built in three years. With the Sugar Industry Labour Welfare Fund Committee’s plan of putting up another 3.000 houses for sugar workers, Mauritius will therefore be provided soon with 23,000 houses: 17,000 timber and 6,000 concrete houses. There is no doubt that such a plan successfully completed will substantially change the over-all depressing picture of rural and suburban life. The country must be thankful to Mr Macleod, the Secretary of State for the Colonies, who has kept his promise that “swift, substantial and sympathetic help” would be given to Mauritius. And the Ministers who have done all in their power to present our case in London deserve the unanimous gratitude and congratulations of Mauritians. Last but not least the British Treasury can rest assured that we will never forget their friendly gesture in our darkest hour.

To complete the programme in time we must bear in mind that time is running out. We would suggest that the Legislative Council gives priority to the necessary legislation required to set afoot the contemplated housing organisation. As soon as Mr Archibald arrives, steps could be taken to find whether the building firms which have already built prototype houses for the Sugar Industry Labour Welfare Fund Committee could not start building the concrete houses. We feel that in view of the fact that Government would have to give more attention to timber houses, the construction of concrete houses could be given to private contractors, of course with proper guarantees. It is indeed a good thing that the loan element in every house will be reimbursable in 25 years. The recipient of a timber house will therefore have to pay Rs 6.66 plus interest and that of a concrete house Rs 13.33 plus interest. We would suggest that Government ensures that these houses are insured against all risks just as the Sugar Industry Labour Welfare Fund Committee hopes to do.

We must also reiterate our suggestion that now that Government is undertaking a vast programme of housing the same opportunity must be seized to build up new villages and new townships or at best to re-plan existing villages. It is no secret that many of our villages and even towns have been badly planned: in some areas there has been no planning at all. In this respect the Ministry of Housing, Lands, Town and Country planning has no less a crucial role to play. We must guard ourselves against the tendency of getting too much engrossed with the immediate thus completely overlooking the future. Steps must also be taken to utilize as much as possible all plots of Crown Lands available in inhabited. areas.

Sometime ago we suggested that the battle cry of the Labour Party and the Comité d’Action Musulman must be: ‘A Roof For Every Family!’ There is no doubt now that the Government has decided to eradicate the abject housing conditions unmasked by Carol, but we must warn the Government against red tape and wastage which seem to have become indispensable characteristics of any state enterprises. The new housing organisation must not be turned into another CEB. Recruitment of labour and the overall staffing of the organisation must be made through the proper channels: care must be taken to ensure that entire families are not employed as in the CEB, and drastic actions will have to be taken against eventual parasites and bloodsuckers who would surely attempt to pinch materials. Unless the Government has a firm hand, the people might lose faith in its authority.

Again, we thank Mr Macleod and our Ministers and wish them the best. There is no reason why the people will not be satisfied. Mr Hazareesingh, Director of the CIO, has a vital role to play in putting across to the people though the artificial confusion created by the Opposition. We expect him to rise to this occasion.

7th Year – No 312
Friday 19th August, 1960

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