Gujarat govt gives nod to four housing schemes

Gujarat government today cleared four schemes aimed at providing affordable housing to urban poor and lower middle income population, as per the promise made in the BJP's December 2012 election manifesto.
Government spokesperson and Finance Minister Nitin Patel said that four schemes -- slum rehabilitation scheme, affordable houses for neo-middle class (income upto one lakh but not below poverty line), affordable houses for lower middle income group, and housing scheme on private land where slums have come up -- were approved in the cabinet meeting.
The last scheme would be executed in Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode.
Housing had become a major election issue last year with Congress promising free houses to the poor women. To counter this, Narendra Modi-led BJP promised to build 21 lakh affordable houses within five years.

"We will build 22 lakh urban houses and give them at affordable rates to poor and middle class in the next five years," Patel said.
The four schemes will be called 'Mukhya Mantri Aawas Samrudhi Yojna'.
State Congress however came down heavily on the state government.
"The Centre has introduced Rajiv Gandhi Slum Development Scheme and it is giving financial assistance to states for it. This state government has today declared a housing scheme with Chief Minister's name where it plans to use the financial assistance given by the Centre," state Congress president Arjun Modhvadia said in his reaction.