Bhubaneswar, Jan. 27: After initiating three affordable housing projects - one at Satya Nagar and two at Chandrasekharpur - the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) has now decided to execute two similar schemes at Gadakana and Subudhipur.

All the projects will be executed in public-private-partnership mode where the BDA will rope in private real-estate developers and construct the houses for people of economically weaker sections under the 'Housing for All' scheme of the state government.

"We are on the verge of finishing the modalities for the first three housing projects and the work will begin shortly after finalisation of the bidders. For the new projects, we will have a pre-bid meeting with the interested agencies and float the tenders simultaneously for the work. The aim here is to provide affordable houses to the economically weaker people of the city," said BDA vice-chairman Krishan Kumar.

Under the scheme, the site developer will get 65 per cent of land for construction of houses, while the rest 35 per cent will go to the developer. The developer could use the land for any purpose, including residential and commercial. The executor will also provide common facilities, such as drinking water supply, road network, power supply and street lights at the site.

Sources said that with the execution of the projects, the development authority would be able to create a stock of nearly 6,750 affordable houses in the city. The two new projects will jointly have around 1,650 affordable houses on offer for the economically weaker people. According to the officials, each house will cost between Rs 10 to 15 lakh.

In another development, the public works department here has come up with a new plan of executing rental housing projects in the city. The rental-housing complexes, which will be constructed in four parts of the city, will provide accommodation to construction workers and migrant labourers. The administration is planning to build a three-storey structure for each complex.

"We have proposed to construct as many as four rental housing complexes in the city and have submitted the plan to the government for approval. We will identify suitable sites for the projects. The complexes will be fully equipped with electrical fittings and furniture," said a senior official of the public works department.

Citizens have welcomed the step of the government to build affordable houses and to come up with the unique rental-housing complex in the city. "The state capital is growing in every manner and it needs quality infrastructure. After being adjudged the smartest city of the country, all eyes are now fixed on Bhubaneswar. It should live up to the expectation," said Gyanendra Hota, a resident of Patia.

Real-estate developers here also find the new way of executing the project quite beneficial. "Such practice of executing government housing projects already exists in other states. It would not only provide affordable houses to the urban poor, but also provide good infrastructure to people when they seek to construct their own houses," said real-estate developer Sangram Nayak.