‘My firm will take the lead in affordable housing’

Chairman of NBCC says affordable houses for the middle class in the range of Rs 10 lakh, Rs 20 lakh and Rs 30 lakh is possible and his company will not hesitate to take the lead in building such houses.

Updated on: Jan 3, 2009, 24:08:20 IST

Hindustan Times | By Vandana Ramnani

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Nearly 30 million people living in urban India do not have a house of their own. Instead of seriously addressing this gap and the need to build the same, or a larger, number of new houses in rural areas, the attempt on the part of our developers has so far been to maximise profits. As a result, we have priced out many aspiring home buyers and disillusioned those who invested and now find that they have not got value for their money.

Blaming the cost of land does not augur well for responsible real estate players because it is like the chicken and egg story. Affordable houses for the middle class in the range of Rs 10 lakh (one bhk), Rs 20 lakh (two bhk) and Rs 30 lakh (three bhk) is possible.

National Building Construction Corporation (NBCC) will not hesitate to take the lead. This will go a long way in satisfying the urban need.

However, the needs of the rural populace are more important, both socially and demographically so that implementing the PURA (Provision of Urban Amenities in Rural areas) concept of providing urban facilities in rural areas does not remain a dream but creates an opportunity for reverse migration from cities to villages. For this, the government has to demonstrate political will and public sector players like NBCC will be more than willing to pilot any such scheme.

Playing the card of regulations, taxation, government sops, etc, is like making excuses for not having taken the bull by the horn.

Once such initiatives are taken and the political and administrative will is there, things should fall in place as we go along. The year thus gives us the slate to make a new beginning.

(As told to Vandana Ramnani)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vandana Ramnani
Vandana Ramnani leads the real estate vertical at Hindustan Times Digital, bringing over two decades of journalism experience across real estate, education, human resources, and foreign affairs. She specialises in India’s real estate sector, covering residential and commercial markets in Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, and Bengaluru, with in-depth reporting on regulatory developments, urban policy, housing trends, and interviews with industry leaders. Her work has also appeared in the Hindustan Times newspaper and HT Estates. Earlier, Vandana played a key role in establishing the real estate vertical at Moneycontrol (NW18 Group), shaping its editorial direction and market coverage. She has also written extensively on international education for HT Education, tracking global study destinations, policy changes, and student mobility trends, earning the Singapore Education Award 2009 for Best Media Coverage (Print). Her reporting portfolio includes human resources and employment trends for HT ShineJobs and PowerJobs, as well as lifestyle and interior design features for HT Premium Homes. Vandana began her career with the Press Trust of India, gaining strong editorial and reporting expertise. She was also selected for a prestigious fellowship at Fondation Journalistes en Europe in Paris, where she wrote for EuroMag. One of her notable reporting assignments included covering Germany’s capital relocation from Bonn to Berlin. Outside of journalism, Vandana is a passionate traveller, constantly seeking out charming hideaways across India and the lesser-known, offbeat corners of Southeast Asia.Read More

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