Chhattisgarh govt brings 'own house' dream true

Owning a house built by the government agency in Chhattisgarh? Now you can claim it to be your “own house”.

The state government has decided to give the free fold rights of the houses and land allotted to the people by government agencies like Chhattisgarh Housing Board and Raipur Development Authority. Earlier, the allotment was made on a long-term lease.

A person buying a house of Chhattisgarh housing board by spending Rs 20 to Rs 30 lakh however did not had a free hold right on the property. As per the norms, the house was allotted on a lease that the house owner had to review from time to time.

“The order to this effect was issued on Saturday and would be applicable for the residential plots allotted April 15, 2011 and all the property (residential plots and buildings) allotted between April 15, 2011 and December 30, 2011,” state’s revenue secretary Dr B L Agrawal said. The government had however applied some conditions also.

Agrawal said the conditions were not stringent and related to clearing the required dues to get the property free hold. The free hold condition would apply on the property allotted only by the state’s housing agencies that included Chhattisgarh Housing Board (CHB) and the Raipur Development Authority (RDA).

The decision to give free hold rights on the property to its owners was taken way back. But it could not be implemented for some or the other reasons. In a recent review meeting of the revenue department, Chief Minister Sunil Kumar took a strong exception over the delay and asked the officials to take immediate action.

The Commissioner of CHB Sonmoni Borah informed that about 52,000 people would get benefitted with the decision taken by the government to free hold the property. “While the property would be made free hold by levying no fee from 40,000 people owning houses constructed in 600 square feet or less area, remaining 12,000 people would pay a nominal fee of one per cent,” he added.