UPPER THOMSON ROAD, LOTS 3639 PT AND 3641 MK XVII (Development into children's playground and garden)

Mr Ang Nam Piau asked the Minister for National Development and Communications if the Government plans to develop Lots 3639 Pt and 3641 Mk XVII, Upper Thomson Road, into a children's playground and garden and whether the squatters affected will be given alternative accommodation and adequate compensation.

The Senior Minister of State for National Development (Dr Tan Eng Liang) (for the Minister for National Development and Communications): Mr Speaker, Sir, the subject site at Lot 3639 Pt is the minimum area required for the proposed North-South Arterial Road project to serve the Ang Mo Kio satellite town. Presently, clearance of the site is carried out on a priority basis.

Twenty-eight families and two single persons are affected by the proposed road. Of these, 21 families are eligible for rehousing. Eighteen families have already collected keys to their flats in Ang Mo Kio/Toa Payoh and three families are awaiting allocation shortly. The remaining seven families are found to be ineligible for rehousing benefits because they cannot prove that they have been residing there before the date of Gazette Notification, 16th November, 1976. However, they have been asked to produce documentary evidence to prove their presence on site before the cut-off date so that they can be accorded resettlement benefits by the Resettlement Department. All the displaced families will be paid ex-gratia compensation and disturbance/transport allowance in accordance with the current resettlement policy.

There is no more land available at the subject site for a children's playground and garden.