NBCC seeks state land for Rajarhat housing

National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC) is keen to develop real estate in New Town on the outskirts of Kolkata.

The Union ministry for urban development will soon seek land from the state government for developing real estate for different income groups.

The Union minister for urban development Ghulam Nabi Azad disclosed this at the inaugural ceremony of the 'Utsa' housing complex developed by Bengal Ambuja Housing, a joint sector outfit between the state government and Ambuja Eastern group.

Describing the joint sector model for developing real estate in West Bengal as the model for the country, Azad said the best way to develop housing is through the joint sector approach.

Incidentally, eight major joint sector housing projects are now operating in the state.

"This model could be adopted in other metro cities like Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore," he said.

According to Azad, there will be a requirement of 23 million house units in next 10 years in the country, worth around Rs 5 lakh crore.

"The public private partnership in housing is essential to satisfy this demand," he said.

Azad used the platform at the inaugural ceremony to inform the West Bengal housing minister Gautam Deb that NBCC was keen to develop housing in the New Town. "If the state government give the land, NBCC could take up the job," Azad said.

NBCC is under the Union ministry for urban development.

Azad said he wished to assure the state government that Kolkata would not be left out in National Urban Renewal Mission.

"Kolkata is one of the seven cities chosen to receive funds from the mission as mentioned in the Union Budget. Once the central government gets the necessary papers on the proposed east-west corridor, it will look for domestic as well as external funding for the project," Azad added.

The Union finance minister P Chidambaram had however excluded Kolkata from the National Urban Renewal Mission when speaking on the subject in his Budget speech.