To fulfil the commitment made to the people of Odisha during the last election, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today asked the state run agencies to complete construction of 15,000 housing units in the state capital by end of 2015.
"For affordable housing, a target of at least 15,000 units should be achieved by the Bhubaneswar Development Agency (BDA) and Odisha State Housing Board (OSHB) in 2015 as part of government's commitment of shelter for all," Patnaik told reporters after presiding over a meeting of the Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP) for Bhubaneswar.
Stating that the BDA has initiated measures for greater transparency in building plan approval, Patnaik said a single window mechanism should be established for the same to make it easy for the residents.
"BDA should be suitably restructured to enable it to address the challenges of urbanisation," Patnaik said adding that Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Metropolitan Development Authority should be set up for the benefit of the people of the twin cities.
Stressing on the rehabilitation of the slum dwellers, the chief minister directed the officials to complete their settlement within five years. "Housing and Urban Development (HUD) department should come out with a time bound scheme for rehabilitation of the slum dwellers," Patnaik said.
Meanwhile, HUD secretary G Mathi Vathanan said: "We are planning to set up Odisha Shelter Mission on the line of the National Health Mission in order to ensure shelter security for the people across the state."
For the providing shelter to people belonging to economically weaker section (EWS), the HUD department has already started construction of 760 units at Mahinsikhal and 1480 units at Patharbandh by the BDA and 600 units at Rangamatia by the Bhubameswar Municipal Corporation (BMC).
Besides plans are made for rehabilitation of slum dwellers at Mandap Bustee, Saliasahi and Niladri Vihar area, HUD sources said adding that the government has identified about 100 acre of land for shelter schemes.
