Bhubaneswar, Oct. 25: Orissa’s housing and urban development department is taking special initiatives to achieve its target of building houses for people belonging to economically weaker section (EWS) and the low income group (LIG) in and around the city. It has asked various real-estate companies to scale up housing projects in these categories.
While Orissa housing and urban development secretary Sourabh Garg asked the developers to ensure more houses in the EWS and LIG categories, the vice-chairman of the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) hinted at some projects to develop EWS and LIG houses by builders with a specialisation in low-cost housing.
It is believed that the action plan of the department came following a letter from chief secretary Bijoy Patnaik which had pointed out that the progress report on Twenty Point Programme (TPP) for the year 2010-11 released by the Union government says “the achievement on EWS/ LIG front in urban areas of Orissa by the department is only 1 per cent”. The Centre’s report termed Orissa’s performance in this sector as “poor”.
The achievement on items covered under the TPP is reported to the Centre every month and the information reported for each item in the monthly progress report (MPR) is taken into consideration while ranking the states in terms of their performance. While the TPP priorities are in harmony with the National Common Minimum Programme, it takes into account eradicating poverty, raising productivity, reducing income inequalities and removing social and economic disparities. The Union ministry of housing and urban poverty alleviation is the nodal agency for poverty alleviation, housing for all (EWS/LIG houses in urban areas) and slum improvement schemes.
The MPR is rated on the basis of norms set by the Union ministry of statistics and programme implementation. While a score of 90 per cent and above is considered very good, 80 to 90 per cent is good and less than 80 per cent is poor. The Orissa State Housing Board (OSHB) official records show that since 1971 when the board was formed, 3,985 EWS and 14,542 LIG houses have been constructed. While middle income group (MIG) and high income group (HIG) houses were 6,070 and 2,053 houses respectively, out of the total 30,062 houses, EWS and LIG houses constituted more than 60 percent.
The latest compliance report given by the OSHB to the department for the month of August shows that out of the target of 264, only 50 units have been achieved so far. The OSHB officials, however, added that by the end of December, the board would be able to complete the 214 dwelling units.
Some officials of the department admitted, on condition of anonymity, that the OSHB had drifted away from its goal of building low-cost and affordable houses as it was entering into public-private-partnership mode and planning to make housing units costing up to Rs 60 lakh in Dharma Vihar.
BDA vice-chairman, however, added that for the development of EWS/LIG housing projects, real estate developers would have to furnish fewer pre-bid norms regarding experience and economic capabilities. He also said the BDA would certainly help in providing better facilities to people belonging to the weaker sections of society. He, however, asked the local builders to maintain transparency in their work to win bids in future.