Facing a shortage of 7 million dwelling units as per the census 2001, the state housing department has so far constructed only 1.2 lakh dwelling units. The state government is likely to complete another 25,000 housing units in the next two years by the end of the 11th Plan period.The ripples of the global economic meltdown have also hit the housing scenario in the state. In Bengal, 50 per cent of all the houses under the state government and under the public-private partnership are reserved for the economically weaker sections (EWS) and the low income group (LIG) families. “A flat for an LIG family is given at a price of Rs 3 lakh whereas it takes Rs 5 lakh to build the 400-sq ft flat on a location anywhere on the E M Bypass. In almost all the cases, the owners later sell these houses at a much higher price,” said S N Bhattacharya, Housing Commissioner, West Bengal Housing Board. Officials in the department are concerned that with such a subsidy to the EWS and the LIGs, the prices will go up exorbitantly and thus the real estate industry will be affected. The housing department, along with the West Bengal Housing Board, the West Bengal Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation (HIDCO) and nine joint venture companies, besides nine assisted sector companies, have taken up the task of erecting housing units across the state to provide affordable housing to the masses. According to I N Chakraborty, Secretary of housing department, some measures in the state can be taken up on the basis on the National Housing and Habitat Policy of the Government of India. According to the officials of the housing department, West Bengal is facing the crisis of availability of land. Sixty-five per cent of the available land in the state is agricultural land and the rest of the land is to be used for infrastructure, industry and housing. Under the circumstances, the officials are keen on the development of special residential corridors away from the city which will reduce land cost in the several areas.
