The Times of India                23.07.2012

 LUCKNOW: The state government has fixed a target for construction of houses for urban poor. Some 1.25 lakh houses are to be constructed by various development authorities and private builders over the next one year.

A decision to this effect was taken by the housing and urban planning department recently. What is interesting is that private developers have been given a higher target in comparison to government authorities.
While the private builders have been asked to construct 88000 houses, development agencies have been given the target 40000 homes. The reason for this, sources said, unavailability of land for acquisition.

However, the old arrangement for allotment wherein the houses constructed by private players
would be allotted by the development agencies in the city has been continued. The government has also warned action against builders or developers who fail to achieve the target.

As per the decision, development authorities will have to construct 21000 homes for economically weaker sections, 7000 homes for lower income groups category, 8000 middle income groups and 4000 for large income group. The target for private developers for EWS and lower income group is 35903 and 36084 respectively. Developers aiming to build integrated townships will have to build 7880 EWS and 8114 LIG homes.

The Hindu                 23.07.2012

Concern over new housing plan guidelines

The district panchayat has expressed concerns over the delay in completion of several housing schemes in the district in the backdrop of the latest 12th five-year plan guidelines issued by the State.

The guidelines, the district panchayat says, do not have any clear mention of funding new housing schemes. The local body will not be able to earmark any special fund for new projects till a change is made in the guidelines.

District panchayat president K. Jameela says the new guidelines issued to the panchayat have totally altered the concept of local development. This will certainly have an impact on poor income group. “Those who are halfway through the construction of their houses will have to suffer, as panchayats will not be able to grant them any fund,” she adds.

As per the standing instructions, the panchayats will have to finalise the development projects for the current financial year before July 31 with the support of working groups.

Since the guidelines have hardly any mention of such a major area, which has been in focus for the last several decades, the panchayat is currently in a fix to find other alternatives. “During the tenure of the last government, there was the EMS Housing scheme. The issue could be settled if the government was committed to introduce a similar scheme,” says Ms. Jameela. According to her, the local panchayats in Kozhikode have been continuing the custom of investing a huge sum of money to support rural housing schemes for the last several years.

The guidelines, which have mentioned in detail about the new powers and privileges of the government officials in approving or disapproving a project, too have irked the heads of various three-tier panchayats. As per the guidelines, the District Planning Committee (DPC), which is primarily a body of people’s representatives, has lost its significance. This is because more powers have been given to government officials in the Local Self Government Department.

“The grama panchayats have also expressed their reservations on another direction in the guideline, which does not allow tendering process of works below Rs.15 lakh,” Ms. Jameela says. She claims that it will open the doors for acute corruption and create a total mayhem in the existing selection process of eligible contractors for works.