Construction of 500,000 houses in 'Punjab to kick off this year'

Mehmudur Rasheed says efforts afoot for constructing 5 million houses as per PM Imran’s vision

CHINIOT: Punjab Minister for Housing, Physical Planning and Urban Development Mian Mehmudur Rasheed said on Friday that construction of 500,000 houses will commence during current year under Naya Pakistan Housing Programme.

He said the government was making efforts for the construction of 5 million houses as per the announcement made by Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The minister expressed these views during his visit to Chiniot to review the proposed site of Naya Pakistan Housing Program located on Faisalabad road. Deputy Commissioner Syed Amaan Anwar Qudwai and officers of Housing Department were also present on the occasion.

The minister directed the housing department officials and the district administration to complete the departmental process without any delay in initiating the housing scheme.



Speaking to reporters, the provincial minister said that Chiniot district had been included in second phase of Naya Pakistan Housing Program and 54 acre land had been acquired at a prime location near the city for the construction of 2,500 houses.

He said the first phase was being started in Punjab from Renala Khurd, Okara, Chishtian District Bahawalnagar and Lodhran, where 6,000 houses will be constructed under the scheme. Prime Minister Imran will perform groundbreaking of these projects this month, he said.

The minister said the development authorities of Punjab’s major cities had been assigned the target of constructing 100,000 houses and work will commence from next June. He revealed that the scope of Naya Pakistan Housing Programme would also be extended to the rural areas and 50 houses would be constructed adjacent to every village in case of availability of state land and these houses would be provided to homeless families at affordable prices of Rs500,000 each house.



He said the government had earmarked funds of Rs5 billion for providing Qarz-e-Hasna to poor people for the purchase of houses and this loan would be recovered in easy installments. He also informed that a revolving fund was also being setup from next month to provide interest-free loans to citizens having plots.

The minister said the mission of PTI government was to make the life of common man easier and take steps in this regard to bring the real change in Pakistan. Later, the minister attended a ceremony organised by private housing colony and appreciated efforts of developers for establishing the housing colony with availability of state of the art facilities.

Addressing the participants, he said the government was encouraging the housing sector so as it helped in generation of economic activities and creation of employment.

The minister said that special funds would be approved from Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar for the construction of Chiniot-Faisalabad dual carriageway.