The center of persuading states to reduce land prices for affordable housing: Manohar Lal Khattar
Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said the centre will consult with the states to ensure that land prices for affordable housing projects are relatively low, especially under Prime Minister Awas Yojana (PMAY).
Speaking in his speech at the 17th Naredco National Congress, Manohar Lal announced that he intends to convene a meeting of state housing ministers and senior policymakers to promote consensus on affordable land pricing.
Although he did not specify a timetable, he confirmed that such discussions would be accompanied by wider reforms aimed at accelerating housing activity across the country.
Add Zee business as your preferred source
However, the Minister did not specify a timetable for the meeting, but only made sure that such consultation would be conducted.
He also noted that other policy reforms will be initiated with relevant stakeholders at the central and state levels to stimulate housing activities across the country.
Meanwhile, Manohar Lal urged Naredco members to raise the matter with state-level decision makers, as the land is primarily a subject of state-owned states and the center has limited jurisdiction, in addition to persuading states to relax land prices to achieve affordable housing.
He further demanded that once relaxed land prices were introduced, developers must ensure that affordable housing units were built in the right location. He warned that choosing a location that is not up to standard can dilute the credibility of the real estate sector.
The minister added that states implementing best practices in housing should serve as role models and developed a mechanism to replicate these practices nationwide for overall real estate growth.
Regarding the subject of subway expansion, the Minister informed that in the next 4-5 years, India’s subway network is expected to expand to the current 1,036 km and to nearly 1,500 km. He stressed that the government’s focus is to ensure last-mile connectivity so that passengers can travel seamlessly without inconvenience.
