Urban development department minister Prem Kumar and (right) principal secretary Shashi Shekhar Sharma at the seminar in Patna on Tuesday. Picture by Nagendra Kumar Singh

Patna, Sept. 13: The housing sector in the state is set for a major makeover. Bihar State Housing Board (BSHB) set the stage today by offering around 1,000 acres of land across the state for development of residential and commercial projects under public-private-partnership (PPP) mode.

BSHB today hosted a national developers’ meet for around 100 developers and builders who expressed interest in the board’s new scheme to construct 1 lakh housing units over the next five years. Residential accommodation apart, BSHB is also trying to develop of commercial units, including malls, hotels, multiplexes and business complex. Sources said the state urban development department is supporting the makeover by providing building bye-laws and development control regulations for builders to carry out their business in the most comfortable way.

Developers and builders, too, expressed a keen interest in taking part in the proposed metamorphosis of the housing sector in the state.

State urban development minister Prem Kumar, who inaugurated the meet, said. “There has been no development carried out by BSHB in the past 40 years. At present, the housing board has properties in 12 districts. Unfortunately, all existing projects are not based on needs of the people and population-growth projections. However, the BSHB new scheme of developing 1 lakh housing units with better law and order conditions and modern development regulations in the state, Bihar is going to be one of the most developed states by 2015. Moreover, since the aim of BSHB is to provide better houses to the poor, a major part of these projects would be developed for the impoverished section of society.”

Sources said over 10 sites in Patna is ready for development and renovation. Around 20 sites in other cities, including Gaya, Bhagalpur and Muzafarpur, are also ready. The land for commercial purpose will be given on a lease for 66 years.