Economically weaker families to be given free houses

Chandigarh, October 8, 2012: Forty-two thousand economically weaker section families would get a gift of free house by the Punjab government with in next two years as Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today issued directions to hand over possession to the families by December, 2014 positively.

Presiding over a meeting of various development authorities here today, Badal said that each sanctioned mega project has been asked to earmark 6% area of their project for EWS housing and project
promoter before construction of main project would ensure completion of housing for EWS families.

Badal said that Punjab government was committed to provide shelter to every family by 2020 and wanted
authorities to chalk out a detailed plan for minimum 1 lac houses for EWS families by next 5 years.
Approving the design of proposed EWS houses, Badal said that the proposed house should be two rooms, kitchen and toilet set with properventilation and space for parking.

He said that it would be imperativefor us to have proper roads, playing fields, dispensary, schools foreach cluster of EWS house. He asked the authorities to strictlyenforce the building bylaws and check the quality of construction and ensure that top quality houses should be handed over to poor families.

Prominent amongst those who were present in the meeting included NK Sharma, Chief Parliamentary Secretary, SK Sandhu, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, PS Aujla, Principal Secretary to Deputy Chief Minister, Manvesh Singh Sidhu and Ajay Kumar Mahajan, both Special Secretaries to Deputy Chief Minister besides Chief Administrator of all Urban Development Authorities of the state.