Auction benami properties to build houses for poor: Secretaries to government

NEW DELHI: The government may take the route of auctioning " benami" properties for construction of affordable houses for the poor and lower middle class. This along with 10-fold expansion of Jan Aushadhi Kendras (generic medicine stores) by March, 2018 and penalising doctors for not prescribing generic medicines are part of the recommendations made by a group of secretaries.

The suggestion to sale benami properties comes at a time when government has launched crackdown on black money. It's an open secret that substantial amount of black money is invested in 'benami' properties. Monetising such properties and investing them in affordable housing scheme will reduce the prices of houses meant for the poor.

Pointing out that 90% of branded medicines are at least five times costlier than generic medicines, the group on health, sanitation and urban development has also suggested increasing the number of Jan Aushadhi stores from the present 683 to 6,000. It has also suggested formulating an e-pharmacy policy by June.

The government has already started acting on some of the recommendations of this group. For example, the Union fertilizer ministry has collaborated with the urban development ministry and released operational guidelines to promote city compost.