TOA PAYOH HOUSING SCHEME

Mr Thio Chan Bee asked the Minister for National Development to explain his plans regarding the Toa Payoh Housing Scheme; where and how will he resettle the displaced residents of Toa Payoh, the terms of compensation and the conditions for alternative accommodation; whether there will be alternative employment for those who will lose their means of livelihood because of the enforced removal; and whether he is aware of the general dissatisfaction among those affected by the proposed scheme in Ah Hood Road and Boon Teck Road, and what steps he proposes to take to remove their grievances.

Mr Tan Kia Gan: Mr Speaker, Sir, briefly the Toa Payoh Housing Scheme envisages the development of a satellite town in about 600 acres of land in the Toa Payoh area. This is a scheme of considerable magnitude, and will have to be planned for implementation in stages; when completed, the scheme will provide a total of some 50,000 units, which will house a total of about 300,000 persons.

There are at the moment about 2,000 to 3,000 families living on the land required for the scheme, and the Housing Board will make every effort to resettle these families in as equitable a manner as possible. Those who are genuine farmers will be given suitable compensation for everything they own or have put into the land, in accordance with the schedule of approved rates. In addition. they will be given a house and good farming land in one of the resettlement areas which have been prepared for the purpose-

Mr Speaker: Order. It is 3.00 p.m. Committee of Supply. Item 1 on the Order Paper.