Louis Manuel Menezes, 89, who played a pioneering role in urban planning and development and slum improvement in Chennai, passed away on May 14.

Former IAS officer M.G. Devasahayam said he worked together with Mr. Menezes as a team and was part of the High Court Appointed Monitoring Committee for the CMDA to curb unauthorised construction. The committee laid out detailed guidelines on sanctioning building plans, approvals and process without any delay and corruption. He also commenced the digitalisation of CMDA files.

Former CMDA Chief Planner K. Kumar, said: “He was a pioneer in the city’s integrated urban development with World Bank funding. He successfully implemented the cross-subsidy concept for urban housing in Chennai. He joined the CMDA in 1977. He, along with the then vice-chairman M.G. Balasubramaniam and the then Senior Planner G. Dattatri, implemented urban development projects on a large scale. He was instrumental in launching Madras Urban Development Project (MUDP) with World Bank assistance. Thanks to his initiatives, thousands of poor families in slums of Chennai got affordable housing through cross subsidy.”

The success of this project was key to the formulation and implementation of other flagship projects, MUDP-II and TNUDP-I, TNUDP-II and TNUDP-III with World Bank assistance. He also had a stint as the secretary to the government in the Housing and Urban Development Department, said Mr. Kumar.