With the objective to ensure housing facilities to one and all in the urban areas of Jharkhand, Chief Minister Raghubar Das assured that the State will have its own housing policy within one month.
Speaking during a discourse on challenges and solutions in housing to all, Das said, “We intend to achieve the milestone of providing to all urban denizens of Jharkhand before the stipulated time frame of year 2022. State’s housing policy will be drafted and dedicated to the people of Jharkhand in next 30 days. The suggestions we received in the course of this discussion will be compiled and utilised to form the framework for the policy to ensure maximum participation of the people.”
Das also urged real estate developers to take up initiative for building residences for the lower economic section of the society as their social responsibility. “We take services from the poorer sections, but fail to fulfil our duties towards them. Builders should include affordable houses in their structures for the economically weaker sections,” he said.
Facilitating builders in creating residential spaces, the CM instructed urban development department to initiate a single window system for issuing clearances required for the purpose. He also assured that suggestions regarding using plots under the ambit of CNT Act and SPT Act will be taken up sincerely.
He further added, “We have to take care of the rural areas too, or the pressure on urban regions from migration will make them impossible to live in. We have plans to give one lakh homes in the state villages under the Baba Saheb Bheemrao Ambedkar Awaas Yojana. The slum dwellers in cities will also be rehabilitated in the coming six months.”
Addressing the gathering, Urban Development Minister CP Singh said, “Banks should be involved in deliberations over the issue of housing for all so that they can understand their role in the initiative. It has to be ascertained whether they can offer housing loans on low interest rates to the economically weaker sections or not. We are also planning to develop satellite colonies adjoining bigger cities of the state. Also, transport connectivity will be provided to those who get land at a distance from the main city so that they can work in the city comfortably.”
“99 per cent of demand for housing comes from the economically weaker section, but this demand is not catered. We need Rs600 thousand crore for this and it is not feasible for government to provide this corpus of fund on its own. Civil society should come forward in order to provide this capital. Housing boards will have to be rejuvenated and statistics have to be generated to determine the demand,” said Sanjay Kumar, Principal Secretary to CM.
“Restrictions for the builders will have to be minimised and a uniform set of norms have to be drafted in order to avoid complications. Tricky regulations like FAR should be done away with to help builders,” stated the Pioneer, Jharkhand Edition, MD and a prominent real estate developer of the State Pawan Bajaj.
