500,000 houses to be constructed shortly, says Punjab minister

FAISALABAD: Punjab Minister for Housing, Physical Planning and Urban Development Mian Mehmudur Rasheed has said that the construction of 0.5 million houses will start in Punjab during the current year under the Naya Pakistan Housing Programme

He was talking during his visit to the proposed construction site at Chiniot on Faisalabad Road on Friday. He said serious efforts were being made by the government for the construction of five million houses.

He directed the housing department and the district administration to complete the departmental process without any delay to initiate the housing scheme work after completing the formalities.

District Chiniot has also been included in the Naya Pakistan Housing Program in second phase and 54 acre land had been acquired at the prime location for the construction of 2500 houses. The first phase is being started from Renala Khurd, district Okara; Chishtian, district Bahawalnagar and district Lodhran for the construction of 6,000 houses, he informed. Prime Minister Imran Khan will perform the earth-breaking of these projects during the third week of February, he maintained. He revealed that the scope of the scheme would be expanded to the rural areas and 50 houses would be constructed adjacent to every village subjected to availability of state land.

These houses would be provided to the homeless families on affordable prices of Rs0.5 million each. The government has earmarked funds of Rs5 billion to provide Qarz-e-Hasna to the poorest people for the purchase of houses and this loan would be retrieved into easy installments, he explained. The minister said that it was the mission of the PTI government to make the life of common man easier and take steps in this regard.

Later, he participated in a ceremony organised by a private housing colony. Addressing the participants, he said that the government was encouraging the housing sector so as it helped generate the economic activities and create employment opportunities.

He announced that special funds would be taken from the Punjab chief minister for the immediate start of work to make the Chiniot-Faisalabad Road as the dual carriageway. He also assured addressing the problems of Chiniot citizens, saying steps would be taken for the upgradation of health and education projects.