For housing scheme,govt hopeful of finding urban poor beneficiaries

Under the Mukhyamantri scheme,the government is providing a monthly pension of Rs 300 to every identified poor family deprived from the benefits of Below Poverty Line,Antyodaya,pension for the elderly,widow and physically-challenged.

“Now,the government has a database on poor people. So,beneficiaries will be found for the third phase of Kanshiram Shahri Garib Awas Yojna,” said Ravinder Singh,Principal Secretary,Housing and Urban Planning department. Preparations have already begun for the third phase — officials in the districts have been asked to identify land for construction of houses,he added.

But before the third phase begins,the scheme is set to undergo a re-orientation. While services like community centres,schools and convenience shops are likely to be provided in the houses constructed in the first phase,the government is working on new facilities that can be added.

Almost 1.01 lakh houses were constructed in the first phase. In the second phase,around 91,390 houses are to be constructed in 71 districts at a cost of around Rs 2,500 crore. Following complaints of poor quality of construction from several districts,on July 31,the government had put on hold construction where work had not started till that date.

“Districts where demand for houses is maximum are being identified. Construction will start first in these districts,” said Singh. Under the scheme,in around 18 districts — including Lucknow (10,000 houses),Kanpur Nagar (8,000),Moradabad (2,500) and Firozabad (2,100) — demand for houses is the maximum.