J&K Govt notifies ‘Affordable Housing Policy-2020’
Sanjeev K. Sharma
JAMMU, Sept 20: There is good news for those living in urban J&K and having no house of their own as the government here has come up with a Housing Policy to allot affordable housing units to them at a price as low as Rs. 4.2 lakh on fulfilling of certain conditions.
The J&K Government has notified ‘Affordable Housing, Slum Redevelopment and Rehabilitation and Township Policy-2020’ in one of its order dated September 8, 2020 wherein the Housing and Urban Development Department of the Government claimed supersession of all the previous policies, notifications and orders on the issue.
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The new policy offers affordable housing units in four different categories with costs varying from Rs. 4.2 lakh to 22 lakh depending upon the area of housing units and other associated facilities.
First category, named as EWS (Economically Weaker Section) provides housing units with carpet area of 25-30 sq.m consisting one hall, one room, kitchen and toilet with water closet. The maximum selling price of these units will range from Rs. 4.2 lakh to 5 lakh or as prescribed by the Government and such housing units will be for the families with annual income less than Rs. 3 lakh or as prescribed.
The second category titled as (Low Income Group) LIG-1 will offer housing units with carpet area between 30-45 sq.m containing one hall, one room, kitchen, toilet with water closet. The maximum price of these units will be from Rs. 5.4 lakh to 8 lakh or as prescribed by the Government and such housing units will be for the families with annual income from Rs. 3-6 lakh or as prescribed.
The third category is LIG-2 with carpet area for the housing unit above 45 sq.m and upto 60 sq.m and it will contain one hall, two bed rooms, kitchen, toilet with water closet. The maximum price of these units will be from Rs. 8.7 lakh to 11.5 lakh or as prescribed by the Government and such housing units will be for the families with annual income from Rs. 3-6 lakh or as prescribed.
The fourth category is Middle Income Group (MIG) with the carpet area for the housing unit above 60 and upto 85 sq.m containing one hall, two bed rooms, kitchen, toilet with water closet. The maximum price of these units will be from Rs. 15.5 lakh to 22 lakh or as prescribed by the Government and such housing units will be for the families with annual income above Rs. 6 lakh upto 12 lakh or as prescribed.
The policy also stated that cost of construction of each dwelling unit is taken as Rs 1750 per sq feet and this will vary from year to year and the same will be notified by the J&K Union Territory (UT) Government from time to time.
The allotment of affordable housing units will be done on the basis of lottery.
The J&K Housing Mission will make efforts to ensure that a beneficiary who is allotted affordable housing unit under this policy can avail benefits of Government schemes and subsidies in buying these units but in case of non-availability of subsidy, likely cost to the beneficiary may increase upto cost of construction.
The policy also allows convergence with schemes of Government of India and UT Government to the extent permissible.
As per the policy J&K Housing Mission will be the nodal agency for facilitating application and sanction of subsidies/assistances as available to such beneficiaries under Government schemes from time to time.
As far as the eligibility of the beneficiary or applicant of the affordable housing is concerned, they shall be the resident of a particular urban area on a cutoff date (to be notified by UT Government) and the dwelling unit shall be allotted only to such beneficiary family who does not own a pucca house either in his/her name or in the name of any member of his/her family in any part of India.
The policy further mentioned that the dwelling unit flat or apartment shall be occupied by the allottee within six months of taking over the possession of the same and he/she cannot put the same on rent.
The policy quoted 2011 census to state that 96 per cent of urban housing demand was met in erstwhile Urban J&K. It also claimed that actual demand is high due to housing dilapidation and multi-family housing and single room housing with dilapidated houses constituting about three per cent of the total housing stock of 4.96 lakh.
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