HHB to reduce cost of various housing categories by 10 per cent

New Delhi, Dec 20 (UNI) The Haryana Housing Board (HHB) as part of its drive to provide shelter to all at an affordable price, today took a number of measures to reduce the cost of various categories of houses by 10 per cent.

The HHB has decided to purchase land outside the controlled area from the private parties on the Public Private Partnership (PPP) basis or as a joint venture to construct 50,000 dwelling units in the next three years in pursuance of the announcement made by Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda. It also decided to construct two lakh dwelling units in consolance with the National Housing and Habitat Policy to provide affordable shelter to all.

The decision to this effect was taken as adequate land had not been made available to the Housing Board by the Haryana Urban Development Authority and Urban Local Bodies to achieve the target of construction of the dwelling units.

It was decided that the suitablity of such land would be examined by the Site Selection Committee constituted by the Chief Administrator of Housing Board Haryana. The land under such scheme would be offered to Housing Board free of cost by the land owner and in lieu, thereof, land to be offered to them would be developed by the Housing Board on mutually agreed terms and conditions settled by them and the Board.

With a view to reduce the cost of various categories of houses, the Board decided to reduce the rates of administrative charges, surcharge and interest rate. The Board also decided to slash administrative charges in high potential zones by three to five per cent whereas these would be reduced by three per cent in medium potential zones and by two per cent in low potential zones.

Similarly, the surcharge has been reduced from five to four per cent in high potential zones, from three to one per cent in medium potential zones and by one per cent in low potential zone.

The Board also decided to allow rebate on interest on deposits of allotees to provide the houses to the public at an affordable price. It was decided to slash the interest rate from 13.25 per cent to 10 per cent. These measures would result in 10 per cent reduction in sale price of houses.

It was further decided in principle to invite composite tenders for construction of houses or flats of different categories including the execution of various infrastructural services like roads, water supply, sewerage, external electrification, storm water drainage, water harvesting system and horticulture of housing colony in one group in order to attract big reputed contractual agencies to tender for Board's work.

The Board approved the grant of bonus at a statutory rate of 8.33 per cent, a maximum of upto Rs 3500, to its employees for the year 2006-07, in view of the ordinance issued by the Central government regarding payment of Bonus Act, according to which the ceiling of the salary of Rs 3500 per month has been revised to Rs 10,000 per month.

On the pattern of all the three wings of the Public Works Department, the Board approved, subject to the approval of the government, the grant of new pay scale of Rs 7500-250-10000- EB-250-13500 to junior engineers working in the Housing Board after completion of 18 years of regular and satisfactory services. Such junior engineers would be designated as Additional Sub-divisional engineers.

The Board also decided to appreciate the services of good workers who would complete the projects expeditiously and the contractual agency so as to reward them. ''However, the officials concerned would be accountable in case they fail to complete the project in time,'' it said.

UNI