Cabinet nod to low cost houses under JNNURM

New Delhi, May 22 (UNI) The Delhi Cabinet today gave its nod for inviting applications in the month of June for allotment of low cost houses under the JNNURM with an aim to make Delhi a 'slum free city'.

Addressing mediapersons after the Cabinet meeting, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit described this decision as a major step towards providing a respectable address to the residents of slums and JJ Clusters in the city.

The Chief Minister said a Committee under the Chairmanship of Pr Secretary (UD) had been constituted to finalize all details in respect of procedure, modalities, priorities of application/allotment. It has been decided that residents of Delhi with an annual family income upto Rs 60,000 per annum would be eligible for the low cost dwelling units being constructed under the JNNURM.

Applications would be invited from the eligible urban poor residing in Delhi since 1998 and residents of slums/JJ clusters.

Ms Dikshit said the complex of low cost houses would have all basic amenities such as schools, parks, transport, drinking water, electricity and shops for meeting daily needs.

The Cabinet also decided that the first lot of 10000 low cost houses would be allotted soon after verification, processing and completion of other formalities, which would be recommended by the District Committees under Deputy Commissioners.

The contribution of the beneficiary would be around Rs 60000 for which a long-term easy bank loan would be arranged. The remaining cost would be shared by the Centre and land owning agency on whose land the slum came up.

The clusters, which are on or near the 2010 Commonwealth Games project sites would be taken up first and relocated on priority basis.

UNI AR AKJ CS1956