Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday pitched for a holistic approach towards meeting the target of ‘Housing for All’, a priority project of his Government.
Chairing a meeting to assess the work done so far in rural and urban areas, Modi stressed on the need for official agencies to adopt a flexible approach, taking into account local conditions such as building material, habits and lifestyles.
He said the approach should take into account local conditions such as building material, habits and lifestyles, a PMO statement said.
Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu, Rural Development Minister Chaudhary Birender Singh and senior officers from the ministries of HUPA, Rural Development, NITI Aayog and PMO were present at the meeting.
The ‘Housing for all’ initiative to be launched soon seeks to address the shortcomings of earlier housing schemes and proposes to construct 2 crore homes for the urban poor by the year 2022. The Government has said that an investment of about Rs 3 lakh crore will be required to meet the housing shortage in urban areas.
“A tribal may prefer a house made from traditional local materials rather than bricks and mortar; and therefore, should be facilitated accordingly,” the Prime Minister said at the meeting.
In rural areas, the goal should be achieved “village-by-village” so that the progress is tangible, and can be monitored effectively, he added, according to the statement.
He said “all common facilities, and required connectivity should also be conceived and delivered, along with housing, so we move towards the concept of ‘samasya-mukt gram’ (problem-free village).”
For urban areas, Modi suggested that solid waste can be used to make bricks, which would be useful as building material, the statement said.
He said all newly-constructed houses should take into account the required norms in disaster-prone areas.