Price rise hits govt houses for poor

Houses for poor in the Capital still seems a distant dream. HT reports.

Houses for poor in the Capital still seems a distant dream. While almost 10,000 houses are ready to be allotted, the government is yet to decide how to fund the escalated cost of these houses.

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The project, conceived in 2008, was pegged at R2.25 lakh. The central government was supposed to pay half of the cost under the Jawahar Lal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission and the remaining was to be shared by the Delhi government and the beneficiary.

With the cost of houses escalating to R 5 lakh, the entire burden has now come on the Delhi government.

Senior Delhi government officials said the central government has refused to share the burden of escalation.

“The idea was the central government will pay about R1.10 lakh, the Delhi government will pay R65,000 and the beneficiary will get loan for the remaining amount. With the cost now increased by almost 200%, the Delhi government finds itself in a difficult situation,” said a senior Delhi government official requesting anonymity.

Officials said the government will take help of the Housing and Urban Development Corporation for assessment of current cost of the houses.