State set to revamp housing policy, plans subsidy for poor

Ruchika M Khanna

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 23

The Punjab Government is set to make major changes in its housing policy by ensuring affordable housing.

On the cards is a sustainable housing policy for the underprivileged and economically weaker sections through a new approach – homes for the homeless.

The new policy will be put up before the Punjab council of ministers, which will meet on July 25 here. Other than monetising the land handed over to the housing department for the construction of houses, the government also proposes to give cash subsidy of Rs1.5 lakh each to targeted persons for the construction of small dwelling units.

The contours of the Punjab Shehari Awas Yojana, too, are expected to be finalised during this Cabinet meeting along with the development of new residential urban estates in Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Amritsar and Ludhiana.

Official sources told The Tribune that houses for the homeless would be provided in both urban and rural areas of the state. “The state government will be dovetailing its housing policy with the central schemes and loan/subsidy of Rs1.5 lakh each will be given to homeless families, having annual income of less than Rs3 lakh, for the construction of houses. It is also proposed to monetise the 200 acres of land available with the housing department by auctioning this land and using the money for the construction of dwelling units for the homeless. This land was handed over to the housing department by the builders who are legally bound to reserve 10 per cent of the dwelling space for the EWS.

The right of first refusal in the auction of this land, available in each housing project, will be given to the project proponent. In case, he does not want to buy it back, it will be auctioned to another person,” said a senior official.

Sources also say that the Council of Ministers will debate on whether all prospective housing projects in the state be asked to hand over money to the housing department rather than reserving 10 per cent of dwelling units for the EWS.

When contacted, Vini Mahajan, Additional Principal Secretary, refused to divulge details about the new policy. “A sum of Rs50 crore has been set aside in the Budget for providing houses to the homeless. The government has made a commitment to construct 2,000 units for the homeless,” she said.

Price stabilisation fund on Cabinet agenda  

Besides proposing major changes in the housing policy, the Cabinet, which will meet on Tuesday, will focus on creating a price stabilisation fund for agriculture, setting up a new horticulture university in Abohar, making Punjab Farmers’ Commission a statutory body and discontinuing the policy of giving two-year extension in service to those superannuating at 58 years of age.