The state government had agreed to provide assistance of Rs 300 crore for it and forwarded the proposal to the Centre in March last year (Express file Photo by Nirmal Harindran)
As many as 30,000 beedi and textile workers in a federation of cooperatives in Solapur will be the first in the country to benefit from the Centre’s decision to allow construction of affordable houses on private land under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY). The Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs approved the project Monday and sanctioned financial assistance of Rs 450 crore for it.
Officials said the Raynagar Cooperative Housing Federation from Solapur had submitted a proposal to the state government to build 30,000 affordable houses for its members. The Federation’s members are beedi and textile workers along with others from economically weaker sections. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 1,811 crore under the PMAY. The state government had agreed to provide assistance of Rs 300 crore for it and forwarded the proposal to the Centre in March last year, said an official.
Officials say the cost of each dwelling unit will be reduced now. “While the cost of the each dwelling unit of Rs 6, 03,777 was determined, its actual price would be Rs 3,53,777 with financial assistance from the union and state governments,” said the official. He added that the state government has assured Centre that a state-level committee set up under PMAY would oversee the implementation of the project for getting the approval.
The Centre has also approved construction of 2,84,803 affordable houses for urban poor under PMAY (Urban). While the total cost of these houses is Rs 16,407 crore, the Centre has approved Rs 4,272 crore.
