Uttarakhand offered loan for re-building houses: Vyas

Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Minister Girija Vyas Thursday said Hudco, a public sector undertaking under her ministry, has offered a soft loan of Rs.3,000 crore to Uttarakhand for rebuilding houses devastated in floods.

She said her ministry also offered to build houses in Uttarakhand under Rajiv Awas Yojana and provide technical know-how through specialised agencies for reconstruction activities, Vyas said.

"All affected municipalities and notified area councils will be covered under the Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY) as a special case to support reconstruction of houses for the poor," Vyas, who spoke to Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna, told reporters.

The loan from the Housing and Urban Development Corp (Hudco) will be repayable over 20 years, she said.

A ministry team will visit the ravaged hill state this week-end and discuss the number of houses to be built under the RAY with local officials and assess damage by the natural calamity.

The minister said that municipalities could build houses under RAY for giving them on rent.

The minister said that under Rajiv Rinn Yojana, interest subsidy will be given on housing loan upto Rs.5 lakh for economically weaker sections and lower income groups.

She said the ministry intendeds to cover one million beneficiaries under the scheme during the 12th Five Year Plan.