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Fiscal concessions mark housing policy

The new housing policy, tabled in Parliament today, emphasised on legal and administrative reforms in the housing sector and provides for a package of fiscal and other concessions to enable the private sector to take up the task of shelter delivery for the poor.

The policy tabled in the Lok Sabha by Urban Development Minister Ram Jethmalani and in the Rajya Sabha by Minister of State for Urban Development Bandaru Dattatreya, provided for a progressive shift from subsidy-based to credit-cum-subsidy-based housing schemes in the rural areas.

The housing finance for the vulnerable group is sought to be made into an affordable and sustainable mechanism. The shelter fund and the risk fund would facilitate down marketing of credit to the poor.

Basic infrastructure service like water supply, sanitation and power supply have been made an integral part of the housing development in the new policy.

The urban planning process would include urban transport as a necessary component.

The policy takes cognisance of the environmental issues and seeks to promote sustainable development of habitat. It provided for planned growth and sustainable use and consumption of natural process.

The new policy recognised the role of technology in housing sector, energy efficiency and energy saving building materials waste recycling, waste as raw material, use of locally avilable raw materials are emphasised. It also provides for use of wasteland for growing timber with fast recycling period for housing construction, increasing the life of bio-mass based houses, promotion of non-conventional and eco-friendly energy sources in settlements.

A mission approach for use of housing technology in rural areas would be adopted.

The policy focused on the need for skill upgradation, training and employment in the housing construction. Building industries is one of the largest employer of women workers and their biggest exploiter in terms of wage disparity. It recognised the role of women workers in the construction sectors and provides for their training, skill upgradation, adequate safety in hazardous construction activities and their induction at supervisory level. The exploitation of children in the construction sector will be strictly banned and steps would be taken to provide them with educational and other facilities.

The policy takes cognisance of the threat to the housing stock by major natural calamities like floods, earthquakes and cyclones. It advocates pre-disaster mitigation techniques by construction/retrofitting of dwellings in disaster-prone regions to prevent or minimise loss of life and shelter. This is sought to be carried out through the vulnerability atlas and techno-legal regime.

It suggested streamlining of various regulatory procedures and provides for time-bound approval of projects.

UNI