India needs alternate technologies in housing: Minister

Union Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday said speedy, safe and sustainable construction using prefabricated alternate technologies is the need of the hour.

This was necessary to meet the targets under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and programmes of the state governments, he said at the inauguration of a Housing Technology Park established by Hindustan Prefab Limited (HPL) in New Delhi.

Several such technologies validated by official technical agencies are now available and need to be scaled up in use, the Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Minister said on the occasion.

Naidu said that with increase in demand, prefabricated construction technologies will become even more cost effective and they need to be promoted in a big way.

He said about two crore dwelling units in urban areas and about four crore units in rural areas will be built for economically weaker sections and low-income groups.

Minister of State for Housing Rao Inderjit Singh urged the defence, railways and public sector undertakings to promote such technologies in a big way.

Ministry Secretary Nandita Chatterjee said that it was in talks with the Defence Ministry for building two lakh houses with alternative technologies for paramilitary forces.

--IANS

rs/tsb/rn