(FE)
The government plans to tweak the land use policy to ensure affordable housing is accorded top priority. That will make available vast tracts of surplus land belonging to sick public sector undertakings (PSUs) for low-cost housing in urban areas. A back of the envelope calculation shows more than one lakh homes — of around 800 sq ft each — can be built on the land with just eight PSUs of around 2,500 acres. The “Housing for All by 2022 Mission” has targetted 12 million homes. Officials indicated to FE, a Cabinet note would be floated in the next couple of weeks by the department of public enterprises. Moreover, the state-run NBCC is likely to be appointed the land management agency for ailing PSUs. NBCC will help sell the land the proceeds of which will be used to meet their outstanding liabilities and implement voluntary retirement schemes before the enterprises are closed or privatised.
