Delhi govt to resume construction of 16,000 flats for poor

The Delhi government has decided to restart the construction of about 16,000 semi-built flats meant for the economically weaker sections, which could not be completed due to various reasons. The government has also decided to repair 17,660 flats that have been lying unoccupied for several years and are currently in a dilapidated state. These flats were built by Delhi State Industries and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC) under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) with financial help from the central government. The department of urban development of Delhi government has approved a proposal to repair unoccupied EWS flats and fully construct semi-built units at a cost of Rs 22.10 billion. The proposal is likely to be brought before the expenditure and finance committee of Delhi government soon. The DSIIDC had taken up the construction of 34,260 low-cost houses under the JNNURM scheme following various surveys conducted during the 1990s and 2000s. According to the Urban Development Department, 17,660 flats have been completed and 16,600 remain in different stages of construction due to various factors, including non-availability of some parts of land parcels. Of the 17,660 flats, DSIIDC has already handed over 1,530 flats—362 at Bawana and 1,168 at Baprola— to Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board for allotment to jhuggi dwellers.See also: Lodha to invest Rs 39.5 billion on sustainability Japanese-backed Satya MicroCapital to finance affordable housing