ALJUNIED GROUP REPRESENTATION CONSTITUENCY (Upgrading)

Column No : 1937

ALJUNIED GROUP REPRESENTATION CONSTITUENCY

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(Upgrading): **

5.

Mr Steve Chia Kiah Hong asked the Minister for National Development (a) if he will explain the Government’s willingness to spend $160 million to upgrade Aljunied Group Representation Constituency when there are much older housing estates still awaiting upgrading; and (b) whether the decision to upgrade any particular constituency has to do with increased opposition activity in that constituency.

Mr Mah Bow Tan: The budget of $160 million for the Aljunied GRC Town Improvement Master Plan comprises both funds from the Aljunied Town Council which it will use to carry out improvement works in the GRC over the next five years, as well as part of the budget the Government has set aside to implement the Estate Renewal Programme, including lift upgrading.

Under the Estate Renewal Programme, eligibility for upgrading is based on the age of the blocks. In Aljunied GRC, there are nearly 200 high- and low-rise blocks that are eligible for the Lift Upgrading Programme (LUP) and the Town Council-Lift Upgrading Programme (TC-LUP).

The criteria adopted by the Government to determine the prioritisation of eligible blocks for the LUP include the age of the blocks, achieving a good geographical distribution of the selected precincts, community bonding, the degree of support from the residents for HDB upgrading and whether or not the blocks are affected by future redevelopment plans.