NEW DELHI: Prefabricated houses could be the answer to government’s ambitious plan to provide 2.95 crore houses to the rural poor by 2022.
Traditionally, prefab houses are provided to survivors of natural calamities like earth quake and tsunami since they are fast to build and assemble. However, over the last few years, the technology is being used by real estate builders like Amarpali and also by the Delhi Development Authority for their housing complexes.
“Prefabricated houses can help the government achieve the target of housing for poor within that estimated period,” Rajesh Goel, chairman and managing director of Hindustan Prefab Ltd told Express.
One of Delhi’s flagship hotel of the Oberoi Group was built on a precast concrete frame manufactured by HPL in its factory.
The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday approved the implementation of the rural housing scheme of Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana–Gramin. Under the scheme, financial assistance is provided for construction of pucca houses to all houseless and households living in dilapidated houses.
Last June, the government had announced the launch of the ‘Housing for All by 2022’ programme. It is aimed at rehabilitation of slum-dwellers and promotion of affordable housing for the urban poor. The programme targets to provide nearly 20 million houses over seven years.
Such long term projects need constant support from the government with approvals for technology and tax concessions.
“The project lifecycle of a housing project from land acquisition to handover has increased considerably...it is imperative that usage of new technology is encouraged by providing incentives,” Navin Raheja Chairman CMD of Raheja Developers is quoted by KPMG in its report ‘Funding the vision-Housing for all by 2022’.