Poor Response to Low Cost Housing in Himachal

The Union Government’s efforts to rehabilitate slum dwellers under the Integrated Housing and Slum Development Programme (IHSDP) have failed to yield results due to a lackadaisical response from buyers. There were no takers for 205 flats in Parwanoo and Nalagarh while 115 have been allotted in these two urban dwellings till now after much delay. In Parwanoo, 192 flats have been constructed, but only 59 could be allotted. In Nalagarh, 128 flats have been constructed, but only 56 have been allotted. In Solan, out of 96 flats, 48 were allotted last year while the remaining are under construction. The scheme is now being implemented by the state government in Solan, Parwanoo, Nalagarh and Dharamsala as the Centre had discontinued funding owing to poor response.  Slum dwellers are eligible to buy two-bedroom flats at a nominal payment of Rs 1 lakh. However, most flats have been not allotted even after years of their construction. The Department of Urban Development, which is executing the scheme, has also failed to find takers for some two-bedroom flats in Solan district. “Since slum dwellers keep moving from one place to another, they are reluctant to buy these flats after paying Rs 1 lakh,” said an MC official. After the Centre discontinued the scheme in 2014, funds were granted till March 2017 for the ongoing projects by the Government of India. The state had secured only the first instalment from the Centre then as it could not utilise the earlier grant allotted. “Suitable land was not available in Solan and Dharamsala to construct these dwellings, failing which the implementation also suffered. The Centre and the state shared funding on 90:10 per cent basis,” said Director, Urban Development, Abid Hussain. After the discontinuation of the scheme, funds have either been provided by the state government or collected from beneficiaries to construct these flats.