Venkaiah Naidu: Affordable housing on private lands may get central assistance

Minister of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, M.Venkaiah Naidu, Narendra Modi, India, affordable houses, government schemes

Minister of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation M.Venkaiah Naidu today asserted that the Government has done more for meeting the housing needs of urban poor during the last three years than what was done in the previous ten years proving that it is a ‘Government with a difference’ as desired by the people.

Venkaiah Naidu stated that to promote private investments in affordable housing on a large scale, his Ministry is considering to extend central assistance of Rs.1.50 lakh per each eligible beneficiary belonging to Economically Weaker Sections under projects taken up even on private lands. So far, the Ministry has approved construction of 5,83, 427 houses under Affordable Housing in Partnership component of PMAY(Urban) only with State Governments partnership.

Elaborating on the strategy to meet the Housing for All target by 2022, Naidu informed that 15 States/UTs are being targeted to meet the target by 2019. These are: Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu and Puducherry.

Venkaiah Naidu also said that other large States have also been asked to submit housing proposals by end 2018 so that construction of houses could be completed by the targeted 2022. Naidu further informed that within 22 months of launch of PMAY (Urban), 97,489 houses have been constructed for urban poor.

National Urban Rental Housing Policy would be soon announced to meet the needs of migrant workers, students, single working women etc. The policy outlines measures to be taken to encourage investments in Social Rental Housing with government support and Market Driven Rental Housing without government support. The Minister said rental housing would be an effective complement to the Housing for All mission.

Venkaiah Naidu informed that the remaining 32 Sections of Real Estate Act, 2016 have been notified last night relating to registration of ongoing projects that have not received Completion Certificate, penalties for non-compliance etc which would be effective from first of next month. He said that under the Act, projects and Real Estate Agents have to be registered with Regulatory Authorities within three months thereafter.Venkaiah Naidu urged the States/UTs to ensure that Real Estate Rules and other institutional infrastructure were in place by the stipulated time failing which they would come under public pressure.  Asserting that housing of urban poor has received unprecedented attention from the government, Venkaiah Naidu said:

“ The Government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has done what was required and the ball is now in the courts of Chief Ministers’ courts to ensure Housing for All by 2022”.

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