XN000022-1979-07-16 — Page 8

MONDAY, JULY 16, 1979

7

BIG PAYOUT TO SAI LAU KOK RESIDENTS

******

FAMILIES MOVING OUT OF THE SEVEN MULTI-STOREY BUILDINGS IN SAI LAU KOK WHICH ARE TO BE DEMOLISHED TO MAKE WAY FOR THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY HAVE ALREADY COLLECTED CHEQUES FOR MORE THAN $500,000 FROM THE GOVERNMENT IN DISTURBANCE AND REMOVAL ALLOWANCES.

SO FAR, MORE THAN 480 FAMILIES IN THE BUILDINGS HAVE COLLECTED THEIR ALLOWANCES, AND CHEQUES FOR ANOTHER $250,000 HAD BEEN MADE OUT TO BE COLLECTED BY THE REMAINING 120 FAMILIES AS THEY MOVE OUT OVER THE NEXT TWO WEEKS.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE TSUEN WAN DISTRICT OFFICE SAID TODAY (MONDAY) ALL DOMESTIC OCCUPIERS AFFECTED BY THE CLEARANCE WERE BEING PAID REMOVAL AND DISTURBANCE ALLOWANCES IRRESPECTIVE OF WHETHER THEY WERE MOVING TO PUBLIC HOUSING, TEMPORARY HOUSING OR HAD MADE ARRANGEMENTS TO PURCHASE NEW FLATS UNDER A SPECIAL GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE SCHEME.

+INDIVIDUAL CHEQUES TO THOSE AFFECTED HAVE BEEN MADE OUT IN PLENTY OF TIME FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE FAMILIES MOVING TO NEW PREMISES, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

+THE AMOUNTS VARY OF COURSE, BUT AVERAGE OUT AT AROUND $2,500 PER FLAT.+

WITH MORE THAN HALF THE FLATS ALREADY VACANT, GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS TODAY POSTED CROWN LAND NOTICES GIVING THE REMAINING OCCUPANTS UNTIL JULY 31 TO MOVE OUT.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT ANOTHER 47 FAMILIES HAD MOVED OUT OF THE BUILDINGS OVER THE WEEKEND BRINGING THE NUMBER OF FLATS IN THE BUILDINGS FULLY OR PARTIALLY VACATED TO MORE THAN 180.

+THIS REPRESENTS WELL OVER HALF THE 339 DOMESTIC UNITS IN THE SEVEN BUILDINGS AND THE NUMBER OF FLATS VACATED WILL INCREASE RAPIDLY AS MORE FAMILIES FINALISE THEIR REHOUSING ARRANGEMENTS,+ HE SAID.

18....