Himachal seeks price hike of houses for poor

New Delhi, July 3 (IANS) Himachal Pradesh Thursday sought to increase the price of housing units constructed under the Rajiv Awas Yojna from Rs.500,000 to Rs.800,000 in order to meet the cost of site development.

Speaking at a conclave of ministers of urban development from states here, Himachal Minister Sudhir Sharma said due to hill topography and difficult terrain, construction in the state was costlier compared to that in the plains.

He urged the central government to grant two additional years for completion of various developmental projects in the state.

The Rajiv Awas Yojna is a central government scheme that aims to provide affordable houses to slum dwellers.

Sharma said many developmental projects could not be completed on time due to clearances related to the Forest Conservation Act. He requested that forest clearances should be provided at the earliest and relaxation may be given to the hill state under the act keeping in view its tough hilly terrain.

He asked the union government to provide funds to the state on 90:10 pattern, on the line of the north-eastern states.

The urban development minister said standard technology for alternative mode of transport and solid waste management should be identified at the central government level so that these projects might be completed in stipulated time.

He requested that bilateral cooperation between the central government and other countries should be extended to various states and the state should be free to enter into memorandum of agreement at its own level.