Mah govt to announce new housing policy soon: CM

Pune, July 7 (UNI) Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh today said the State government would announce a new housing policy within a month.

Speaking at the inauguration of the 250-bed hospital at Magarpatta city, Mr Deshmukh told mediapersons that the State government was looking at the Regional Development Plan and would announce policies that would touch upon different issues and stakeholders.

The policy will ensure less competition among builders while attempts would also be made to get the consent of slum - dwellers for developmental works under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, he said.

''We would also address TDR problems coming in the way of developmental activities in view of the Commonwealth Youth Games to be held in Pune next year,'' Mr Deshmukh said.

The Chief Minister acknowledged the contribution of Satish Magar, whose 'Magarpatta City' has become a model for farmers in the State and the country as stakeholders in developmental activities.

Satish Magar was largely responsible in helping the State government with framing the IT Policy and the IT Park and township concepts.

State Health Minister Vimaltai Mundada, appreciated the facilities of the new hospital and said it would take the burden off the government-run Sassoon Hospital as it would be run on ''no loss no profit basis'' for the poor. Besides, patients from rural areas of Pune did not need to come to the city for treatment, she said, adding the private-public initiatives must be undertaken in health care services.

Lauding the technology available at the hospital, she said technology would help bridge distance and make health care accessible in rural areas through ''tele-medicine''.

Earlier, City Mayor Rajalakshmi Bhosale urged the Chief Minister to frame a policy for vehicles to control traffic.

She said, ''As many as 500 cars are registered by the Pune RTO daily. A new policy should be framed to reduce the growing chaos on roads. Only those vehicles having proper parking space should be given registration,'' she said. She said the problems of TDR, misuse of FSI, solid waste management, infrastructural issues needed to be resolved before the Commonwealth Games.'' UNI