BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday asked Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) and Odisha State Housing Board (OSHB) to complete construction of 15,000 housing units in the city by end of this year for economically weaker sections and lower income groups.
The State Government, in April 2013, had announced to construct 15,000 affordable houses for economically weaker sections (EWS), low income group (LIG), low medium income group (LMIG) and medium income group (MIG) at Gothapatna on the outskirts of the city. The ruling BJD incorporated this scheme in its election manifesto.
Though the Government had promised to provide 100 acres of land to BDA for the housing project at Gothapatna, only 20 acres were identified till December last year, official sources said.
“A target of at least 15,000 units should be achieved by the BDA and State Housing Board in 2015 as part of Government’s commitment of shelter for all,” Naveen told reporters on Wednesday.
Presiding over a high level meeting on Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP) for Bhubaneswar at the Secretariat here, the Chief Minister directed the Housing and Urban Development (H&UD) department to formulate a time-bound scheme for rehabilitation of city slum dwellers under the shelter security programme of the Government.
The Chief Minister asked BDA to initiate measures for greater transparency in building plan approval and put a single window mechanism for faster disposal of applications for various approvals.
For providing shelter to people belonging to EWS, the H&UD department has already started construction of 760 units at Mahinsikhal and 1,480 units at Patharbandh by the BDA and 600 units at Rangamatia by Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), Department Secretary Mathivathanan said.
Besides, plans have been made for rehabilitation of slum-dwellers at Mandap Basti, Salia Sahi and Niladri Vihar, he said, adding that the Government has identified about 100-acre land for shelter schemes.
“We are planning to set up Odisha Shelter Mission on the lines of the National Health Mission in order to ensure shelter security for people across the State,” Mathivathanan said.
The Chief Minister emphasised on creation of Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Metropolitan Development Authority for the benefit of people of the twin cities.
He also reviewed the steps taken for zonal development plan under the CDP. The city has been divided into 14 zones.