Govt extending incentives to urban poor, migrants under housing scheme: Hardeep Singh Puri

Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri said Wednesday that the Centre is extending several incentives, including free floor area ratio, concessional project finance and free of cost trunk infrastructure facilities under the Affordable Rental Housing Complexes (ARHCs) scheme to the urban poor and migrants.

Addressing a webinar, Puri said this initiative has been taken up to provide "dignified and affordable" living spaces to varied groups of the urban poor and migrants, including industrial and construction workers, and those working with market associations.

The Union housing and urban minister also launched a portal of Affordable Rental Housing Complex and released 'ARHC User Guide' and operational guidelines.

He said he was happy that 24 states and Union territories have signed an agreement with his ministry to implement the scheme as it benefits the state governments also. He said he would write to these 24 states and UTs thanking them for their interest.

"The Modi government is cognizant of the needs of affordable housing for all which has resulted in targeted policy interventions like @PMAYUrban & ARHC scheme.

"This will, in turn, help all sections of the society secure a safer future & help in building of a 'Self Reliant India'," Puri tweeted after the webinar.

In another tweet, the minister also said that the scheme was launched as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan" to resolve housing issues of migrant workers in urban areas. The ministry secretary Durga Shanker Mishra and senior officers of the ministry also attended the webinar.

(Photo Credit: Twitter/HardeepSPuri)