Govt to launch affordable rental housing scheme for migrant workers

New Delhi, May 14: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday said that the Government will launch affordable rental housing scheme for migrant workers.

The Finance Minister also unveiled the contours of a scheme for affordable rental housing for migrant workers to provide ease of living by converting government-funded housing in cities into Affordable Rental Housing Complexes (ARHC) under PPP mode through the concessionaire.

For middle-income group with Rs 6 lakh to Rs 18 lakh annual income, Sitharaman announced an extension of the affordable housing scheme till March 2021.

"For middle-income group with Rs 6 lakh to Rs 18 lakh annual income. Credit linked subsidy scheme for affordable housing extended till March 2021. Another 2.5 lakh families will benefit. Expected to give a Rs 70,000 crore boost to housing," Sitharaman said.

She also said that the second tranche of economic stimulus package will be for the benefit of migrant workers, street vendors and small farmers. At a press conference, she said 3 crore marginal farmers have already availed Rs 4 lakh crore of loans on concessional rates.

Nirmala Sitharaman also declared a big push towards One Nation, One Ration Card. While announcing measures for migrant workers, Sitharaman said that 100 per cent of ration cardholders will be covered in One Nation One Ration Card scheme by March 2021.

This was the second day when Nirmala Sitharaman, along with Minister of State (Finance) Anurag Thakur, addressed the media on Rs 20 lakh crore package declared by PM Narendra Modi earlier.