Now it would be easier to buy a home in Bhubaneswar. The state government has decided to expedite the affordable houses for weaker section in urban areas. In this regard, a presentation has been made on Monday in front of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik by Housing and Urban Development Department.
The proposed mission will have to be approved by the cabinet before the Local Self-government Day on August 31 and the government will announce a new policy on the same day.
The new housing mission will contribute in the four district components slum – redevelopment, affordable housing through interest subvention, rental housing for migrants and housing for urban destitute and homeless. The official of Housing and Urban Development Department said that the department is working on a new policy and the policy will have to be vetted by other departments like Finance, Law, Revenue and General Administration Department before forwarding the plans for approval from cabinet.
The development of slum will be done by PPP (Private Public Partnership) Mode. Affordable housing will be constructed within the city for weaker sections of the society on the government land which would be kept in limits by government while the outskirts area of city will be developed into urban land by expanding infrastructures.
The slums will be re-developed by developers out of which 65 percent of the houses will be reserved from those who are the residents of slums while the remaining 35 percent of houses can be sold by the developers. Likewise, in non-slum areas, if a housing project is constructed over 2000 square feet then 20 percent of the houses will have to be reserved for poor and EWS (Economical Weaker Section).
The government will be forwarding a step to ascertain the quantum of housing shortage by which they can easily prepare the plan for implementing the policy. For the State and different urban centers an action plans will also be prepared for implementation of the policy.
Chairman of Odisha State Housing Board (OSHB) Pratap Keshari Deb said for the first time, the State Government will start rental housing for the poor. He said a person with an income of Rs 1.8 lakh per annum can be eligible for housing under EWS category under the scheme. Persons having income of Rs 3.6 lakh per annum will qualify for LIG houses.