The Chhattisgarh Housing Board (CGHB) will utilise advanced and cost effective RCC Precast technology for constructing houses under Mukhyamantri Awas Yojana (Chief Minister Housing Scheme).

The Precast technology is a globally recognised process through which concrete is cast into a mould and then transported to the construction site for use, officials stated.

Both, Principal Secretary, Housing and Environment, N Baijendra Kumar and Commissioner, Chhattisgarh Housing Board, Sanjay Shukla in different forums had spoken about the advantages of using Precast technology for quality housing construction in Chhattisgarh.

The project comprises development of 4048 lIG and 2328 EWS flats besides other instrastructural facilities in the new capital region. A target for construction of 40000 houses in Naya Raipur was set in a meeting of Housing and Environment Department held at the Mantralaya in May this year.

Chief Minister Raman Singh had reviewed the working of Housing and Environment Department in the meeting.

It was resolved in the meeting that these houses will be constructed by Chhattisgarh Housing Board and Naya Raipur Development Authority (NRDA) will provide land to the Chhattisgarh Housing Board for just Re 1 per square feet.

Singh had directed the officers that the quality of the houses should be good and to minimize the construction cost negotiations should be done with cement and steel companies for supply of material at lower rates.

It was informed in the meeting that the Chhattisgarh Housing Board has set a target of constructing one lakh affordable houses in the State over the next four years.

Besides this, Chhattisgarh Housing Board will also construct toilets in 100 girls’ schools under the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

The officers informed that Chhattisgarh Housing Board has constructed about 85000 houses under different housing schemes of the State Government since the formation of the Chhattisgarh Housing Board in 2004. Of these, 85 per cent houses have been constructed for poor and economically weaker sections.

The State Government in december last year had already announced it will provide one time grant of Rs one lakh for EWS and Rs 50000 for lower Income Group (lIG) houses in Naya Raipur project area.

Moreover, the Chhattisgarh Housing Board will construct houses for Government employees in 146 block and nine new district headquarters at a project cost of Rs 1,000 crore.

The decision comes in wake of Chief Minister Raman Singh’s directions to the Revenue Department to take prompt action for solving the problem of housing for the Government employees in various district and block headquarters.

According to officials, Revenue Minister Prem Prakash Pandey said his department has issued circular to all the district collectors in this regard.

In the circular it has been stated that the land should be allotted to Chhattisgarh Housing Board as per demand and equivalent to the cost of construction of houses. Earlier, the land was allotted by an Inter-departmental Committee.

However, according to the State Government’s decision, the allotment of land will now be done by a Committee of senior Secretaries, officials said.

The circular states that the Government land will be selected for construction of residences for Government officials and employees at the headquarters of nine new districts formed in 2012 including Balod, Bemetara, Gariaband, Balrampur-Ramanujganj, Surajpur, Mungeli, Kondagaon, Sukma and Baloda Bazar-Bhatapara besides all 146 block headquarters of the State, officials said.  The circular also states that the land identified will remain in the name of the Government and will be provided to CGHB only for construction of houses.

The Chhattisgarh Government has also set a target of constructing nearly 42,000 houses under Indira Awas Yojana in the State, officials stated.

Moreover, the State Government provided approvals for construction of 1.34 lakh housing units for the economically weaker sections during the past three years.

As a result, out of Rs 424 crore available fund for construction of the housing units, a sum of Rs 309.19 crore had already been spent for construction of 88,654 housing units.