Construction of 500,000 houses to begin in Punjab this year

CHINIOT: Punjab Minister for Housing, Physical Planning & Urban Development Mian Mehmud ur Rasheed said on Friday that construction of houses would commence during current year under Naya Pakistan Housing Programme.

He said the government was making efforts for the construction of 5 million houses as per the announcement made by the Prime Minister Imran Khan.

He expressed these views during his visit to Chiniot to review the proposed site of Naya Pakistan Housing Program located on Faisalabad road. Deputy Commissioner Syed Amaan Anwar Qudwai and officers of Housing Department were also present on the occasion.

The minister directed the housing department officers and the district administration to complete the departmental process without any delay for initiating the housing scheme.

Talking to the newsmen, the minister informed that district Chiniot had been included in Naya Pakistan Housing Program in 2nd phase and 54 acre land has been acquired at the prime location near the city for the construction of 2,500 houses.

He said the first phase was being started in Punjab from Renala Khurd, District Okara, Chishtian District Bahawalnagar and District Lodhran where 6,000 houses would be constructed under the phase.

Prime Minister Imran Khan would perform ground breaking of these projects during current month, he said.

The Minister said that development authorities of the big cities of Punjab had been assigned the target for construction of 100,000 houses and work would be launched by next June.

He revealed that the scope of Naya Pakistan Housing Programme would be extended to the rural areas and 50 houses would be constructed adjacent to every village in case of availability of state land and these houses would be provided to the homeless families on affordable prices of Rs 500,000 each house.

He said the government had earmarked funds of Rs 5 billion for providing Qarz-e-Hasna to poor people for the purchase of houses and this loan would be recovered in easy installments.

He also informed that a revolving fund was also being setup from next month to provide interest-free loans to citizens having plots.

The minister said the mission of PTI government was to make the life of common man easier and take steps in this regard to bring the real change in Pakistan.

Later, the minister attended a ceremony organized by private housing colony and appreciated the efforts of developers for establishing the housing colony with availability of state of the art facilities.

Addressing the participants, he said the government was encouraging the housing sector so as it helped in generation of economic activities and creation of employment.

The minister said that special funds would be approved from the CM Punjab for the construction of Chiniot- Faisalabad dual carriageway.