“Surplus Land of Centre & States’ PSUs likely to be used for Affordable Housing,” says MHUA Secretary

In a bid to create townships and dwelling units under the Prime Minister’s affordable housing scheme for weaker sections of the society, the central government is toying with an idea to acquire the surplus land of Central Public Centre Enterprises wherever possible. Addressing the NAREDCO’s 14^th National Convention, Mr. Durga Shankar Mishra, Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, said, “Centre in necessary consultation with the States and UTs is also trying to persuade States to acquire the available land of their public sector enterprises for the same purpose so that affordable houses are created across the country for the common man. In addition, the Centre is trying its best to bring in the most advanced construction technologies from economies of scale across the world so that construction of houses particularly for the weaker sections of society and other similar segments are completed with the fastest speed and pace and the government will be able to fetch such technologies in the real estate sector faster than anticipated, Mishra added. He also assured the real estate developers  assembled on the occasion that they would face virtually no inconveniences beyond 31^st March 2018 in terms of getting their constructions plans approved by authorities not only in centre but also in vast numbers of States through online facilities as such an arrangement is being arrived at. Alluding to the acquisition of surplus land belonging to Centre and States’ enterprises, Mishra indicated that serious efforts and consultations are on in this direction and it is hoped that the anticipated results would follow for the intended purpose so that affordable housing scheme takes off as desired by the Prime Minister. Inaugurating the National Convention, Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Mr. Arjun Ram Meghwal promised the construction and real estate industry that all their legitimate glitches would also be addressed properly whether these relate to GST and other procedural fronts and invited the builders to come forward to cooperate with the government in helping it achieve its objectives on many fronts including that of affordable housing also.