New housing policy to come up in Maharashtra

The government is all set to announce a new housing policy that plans to provide extra FSI and other physical and financial incentives in an attempt to achieve its goal of constructing 1.1 million houses in Greater Mumbai. Some of the key proposals include part-utilisation of salt pan land (about 650 acre between Ghatkopar and Mumbai in north-east Mumbai) for the construction of 150,000 houses, redevelopment of old and dilapidated buildings in the island city of Mumbai on the lines of those being redeveloped in suburbs, redevelopment of BDD chawls spread on 90 acre in central Mumbai and reconstruction of transit camps.  It is time to focus of development of physical infrastructure to last for the next century; and, only when we create the infrastructure to suit the city's growth requirements, affordable and sizeable land masses will be available in abundance. Using these approaches, the government can create houses of up to 30 sq m for the economically weaker sections and 60 sq m for the lower-income groups. The Union Government will provide funding of Rs 1.5 lakh per tenement created under the scheme, while the state government will top it up with another Rs 1 lakh. The state government has also relaxed the income criteria for economically weaker sections and lower-income groups to bring it in line with the Centre’s directive.