CM calls on developers for 1 lakh low-cost houses
Gurugram Stating that the shifting of the Kherki Daula toll plaza will be done in a year, the chief minister on Wednesday called on developers to construct 1 lakh reasonably priced houses at urban locations, based on the ‘Walk to Work’ concept.
Khattar was speaking at the second pre-budget consultation meeting with real estate stakeholders, which was attended by senior officials and top developers of the city, at the PWD guest house. He said that the decision to shift the toll plaza is final, but it would take a year as the agency operating it has sought time.
“The toll will be shifted and the land for this has already been identified,” said Khattar, when this issue was raised during the meeting.
He also said that the shifting of toll would cause revenue losses to the operator and funds are required for the upkeep of the road, for which either a cess will be imposed or another solution will be found.
Khattar also asked the developers to build 1 lakh houses across the state in urban locations, costing in the range of ₹15 to 20 lakh, which can be made available to urban workers on rent, lease or freehold. “We have a goal of building 5,000 such homes in each district headquarter and that means that around 1 lakh such homes at reasonable prices need to be built,” the CM said.
Outlining the details of such a residence, the CM said that the idea is to construct 50-square metre residences — having two rooms, a bathroom and a kitchen — that can be rented for ₹3,000 to ₹4,000 per month. “The objective is to help people in urban areas live close to where they work, instead of having to use vehicles and adding traffic on roads,” said Khattar. He said that these houses are required on a priority in Panipat, Karnal and Jind districts.
Realtors present at the meeting also raised issues pertaining to the proposed hike in circle rates, which, they said, was quite high and would have a dampening effect on the real estate market. “Apart from circle rates, we also raised the matter of infrastructure augmentation, which was heard by the CM and officials. This was a fruitful discussion and it might lead to resolution of many issues,” said Praveen Jain, vice chairman, National Real Estate Development Council (Naredco).