Home stretch for urban poor
The newly-elected UPA government plans to take a slew of measures to uplift the living conditions of the poor in fast-expanding cities.
By ET Bureau |
NEW DELHI: The newly-elected UPA government plans to take a slew of measures to uplift the living conditions of the poor in fast-expanding cities. A major thrust on affordable housing is on the cards, President Pratibha Devisingh Patil said on Thursday.
She said the government will propose Rajiv Awas Yojana for slum dwellers and the urban poor on the lines of Indira Awas Yojana for the rural poor.
���The schemes for affordable housing through partnership and the scheme for interest subsidy for urban housing would be dovetailed into the Rajiv Awas Yojana which would extend support under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) to states that are willing to assign property rights to people living in slum areas,��� she said. Over 15 lakh houses are under construction for the poor.
Meanwhile, the housing ministry has asked developers to list the incentives they expect from the government for building low-cost houses. The ministry is keen on reviving tax benefits for real estate developers who construct houses for the economically-weaker sections (EWS). The scheme was discontinued last year.
The backlog for urban housing, especially for the EWS and low-income groups, is huge. According to estimates by the ministry, the low-income group constitutes more than 99% of the urban housing shortage of 24.71 million. The government plans to involve the private sector in JNNURM for constructing 1.5 million dwelling units by 2012.
Download
The Economic Times Business News App for the Latest News in Business, Sensex, Stock Market Updates & More.
The Economic Times Business News App for the Latest News in Business, Sensex, Stock Market Updates & More.
Download
The Economic Times News App for Quarterly Results, Latest News in ITR, Business, Share Market, Live Sensex News & More.
The Economic Times News App for Quarterly Results, Latest News in ITR, Business, Share Market, Live Sensex News & More.
ADVERTISEMENT
