Punjab Minister for Housing, Urban Development and Public Health Engineering Mian Mahmood-ur-Rashid has announced to start construction of 12,000 low-cost houses in Lodharan, Chishtian and Renala Khurd from next month. These residential units will be built under 'Naya Pakistan Housing Scheme' and applications in this regard will be received till January 10, 2018. While another 10,000 housing units will be completed by June next jointly by the Naya Pakistan Housing Programme and Akhuwat Foundation.
The Minister disclosed this while addressing a press conference on Thursday to share 100 days developments with media persons. He said Naya Pakistan and Akhuwat Foundation will finance construction of houses for those who have land but no finance to build their own house. Applicants will be dispersed a sum of Rs500,000 each interest free loan under this scheme.
Similarly, he said that another project of 6,000 low-cost housing units will soon be started in Lahore, Faisalabad and Multan. He said till date 200,000 kanal land has been included in land bank and committees comprising deputy commissioners, district housing officers and local political personalities have been constituted to submit their recommendations in all the districts.
He said in the second phase, 1700 housing units each will be built in Jhelum and Sialkot while 10,000 houses will be constructed in Sialkot. He said a committee has also been constituted to amend basic laws of all the development authorities to make housing laws simple for the masses and the developers as achieving the target of five million homes is not possible without it.
Rashid said an international housing conference will also be held in January to attract international construction companies. He also threw light on various projects to provide clean drinking water in the province besides launching of WASH programme in 4630 villages of 11 districts in collaboration with the World Bank. He said this programme includes construction and repair of toilets and provision of clean drinking water. He said Murree Bulk Water Supply project will be started soon which was delayed in the past government. He said that cost of the project had escalated to Rs 10 billion now from earlier Rs 2.5 billion.
He said the project had been launched to irrigate parks of Lahore with the water of ablution of 91 mosques while water testing laboratories are being setup in 36 districts. He said that authorities had also got vacated government land worth Rs7.5 billion from the illegal occupants while 400,000 saplings had been planted under 'Clean and Green Pakistan' campaign.