Ahmedabad, January 1
True to his style of functioning, in less than a week after assuming office starting his fourth innings, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has initiated move to implement his most important election promise, providing houses to the needy middle and lower income group people in the state.

Keeping his word Gujarat CM Narendra Modi has initiated move to implement his election promise of providing houses to the needy middle and lower income group people Modi has given directions to create a separate department of housing which would be directly under his control He has directed the finance department to make budgetary provisions for constructing houses

With both the ruling BJP and the Congress promising the voters to provide them houses if voted to power, housing had assumed centre stage in the Assembly electoral battle. Not to be left behind, the Gujarat Parivartan Party floated by the former Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel, too had thrown its hat in the ring with promise of houses for the voters.

The Pandora’s Box was opened by the Congress which after promising houses launched a survey to assess the needs and the response received was an eye-opener for all. The Congress received more than 70 lakh applications for houses in the urban and semi-urban areas alone, while for the rural areas the party had promised to provide free house plots if voted to power.

Shocked by the tremendous response the Congress received over its promise for houses, Modi not only woke up the dormant Gujarat Housing Board, the state-owned body to construct houses, which had stopped new constructions for the last decade or so, to float new schemes, housing was also made an important part of the BJP election manifesto. The BJP promised to construct 50 lakh houses -- 22 lakh in the urban areas and 28 lakh in the rural areas -- in five years if voted back to power. It, however, invited strong criticism from the Congress and other parties who termed it as a mere “Modi election cliché”, pointing out that it would be impossible for any government to amass over Rs 33,000 crore required to construct such large number of houses in five years.

The state government sources said within days of Modi taking the oath of office and secrecy on December 26, he initiated the move to create a separate department of housing which would be directly under the control of the Chief Minister. He has also directed the finance department to make budgetary provisions for constructing houses in the next financial year’s budget to be presented before the new state Assembly next month. Urban development minister Anandiben Patel has also confirmed the Modi government’s move to create a new department of housing, but could not say the amount of funds could be allocated for the implementation of the “Mukhmantrishri Grih Samruddhi Yojana.”

The Modi government has also initiated the move to set up a state-level Housing Regulatory Authority, besides working on the General Development and Control Rules for suitable changes in the floor space index norms to allow more new constructions for residential quarters.

Steps are also being taken to clear up the slums in the urban areas by shifting the slum-dwellers to the government-constructed housing colonies.