Maha Govt planning land bank for low-cost housing

Maharashtra Government is planning to create a land bank, which could be used for low-cost housing to meet demands of rapid industrialisation in the state, a minister said.

Maharashtra Government is planning to create a land bank, which could be used for low-cost housing to meet demands of rapid industrialisation in the state, a minister said.

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"Maharashtra Housing and Development Authority (MHADA) would buy land at market rates to build low-cost housing across the state," Minister of State for Housing Sachin Ahir told reporters here today.

The industrial growth is high in the state and demand for housing is increasing, he said. The housing schemes of MHADA have got overwhelming response in Mumbai and the Government wants to extend the scheme for other cities, Ahir said.

MHADA would undertake the project on a `no loss-no profit' basis and would give 2.5 FSI to build new houses, he said. The regional offices of MHADA would soon identify such lands to buy, he added.

To implement the `zero slums' scheme of the Centre, the Housing authorities are thinking to make it mandatory for the Government departments to implement Slum Rehabilitation Schemes if their lands have slum pockets, he said.

"The implementation of the scheme would be speeded up by making the Government departments accountable for slum rehabilitation," Ahir said.

The Government has also decided to have satellite mapping to identify slum areas and number of slums, he said.