Chhattisgarh is among seven States in the country where information on appropriate and affordable housing technologies for rural areas has been sought by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
“The UNDP had been seeking information to develop state-specific compendiums on appropriate, affordable technologies for rural housing construction supported by Indira Awaas Yojana in the States of Assam, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal,” Officials stated.
Incidentally, the Chhattisgarh Housing Board (CGHB) had been utilising advanced and cost effective RCC Precast technology for constructing houses under Mukyamanti 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.
The project comprises development of 4048 lIG and 2328 EWS flats besides other infrastructural facilities in Naya Raipur region.
The Chhattisgarh Government has set a target of constructing nearly 42,000 houses under Indira Awas Yojana in the State, officials stated.
Moreover, the Government has approved construction of 1.34 lakh housing units for the economically weaker sections during the past three years.
Out of Rs 424 crore available fund for construction of the housing units, an amount of of Rs 309.19 crore had already been spent for construction of 88,654 housing units.
This apart, as many as 40,000 poor families of urban areas will also be allotted houses under Chief Minister Housing Scheme launched in the State’s new high-tech administrative capital Naya Raipur in Chhattisgarh.
The project will cost around Rs 2800 crore and will be implemented under Central Government’s Affordable Housing Policy, whereas Chhattisgarh Government will contribute about Rs 300 crore in this scheme, officials stated.
The CGHB will provide land for this scheme at Rs 1 per square feet. The State will provide subsidy of Rs 1 lakh per family to Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) families, and that of Rs 50,000 to lIG. The beneficiaries will get concession in registration fee and stamp duty. The scheme will be implemented by CGHB at no profit-no-loss basis.
This apart, the homeless BPl families are to be provided 900 sq ft of developed land in the State. About 40,797 homeless families of the State have already been provided land patta till October, 2014, officials stated.
The Government in December last year had announced that 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.
A target for construction of 40000 houses in Naya Raipur was decided under these categories in a meeting of Housing and Environment Department held at the Mantralaya recently.
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 CGHB while Naya Raipur Development Authority will provide land to the CGHB for just Re 1 per square feet.
Singh directed the officers that the building quality of the houses should be higher and asked negotiations should be done with cement and steel companies for supply of material at lower rates in order to minimise the construction cost.
The meeting also announced that the CGHB has set a target of constructing one lakh affordable houses in the State over the next four years. Besides this, the CGHB will also construct toilets in 100 girls’ schools under the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
The officials also informed that CGHB 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 percent houses were built for poor and economically unsound sections.