Mah Govt to unveil new housing policy on Nov 1: CM

Kolhapur, Oct 1 (UNI) Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh today indicated that his government will announce the new housing policy on November one.

Addressing a news conference here, Mr Deshmukh said the highlight of this policy is the welfare of the people. Under this, there will be provision of housing for slum dwellers and the poor from the rural areas.

He said for this, the Union government would grant Rs 80,000 each under its housing development scheme and pointed out that the state government would work out a plan soon in this regard.

The Chief Minister said the government was making all efforts to give compensation by the forthcoming Diwali festival to the farmers whose crops were damaged in the recent floods.

The state cabinet would soon set up a committee comprising experts and scholars to find out the causes of the floods and suggest measures to avoid the repeat of such a situation, he replied to a question.

In a reply to another question, Mr Deshmukh said till December-end, the state would get additional 1,000 mega watt of electricity and efforts were on to increase the electricity generation capacity to 75,000 MW till 2010, for which the Union government has extended all the necessary help.

On the bad condition of Kolhapur's roads, damaged in recent floods, he said the state government has sanctioned Rs 2.7 crore for its repair works.

On the supply of clean and sufficient driking water problem, the Chief Minister said both the district administration and the Kolhapur Municipal Corporation (KMC) have prepared a plan worth Rs 492 crore to provide clean and sufficient drinking water to the citizens.

The government has also submitted a plan to the Union government for the implementation of waste water management and drainage system in the city, he added.

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