Kolkata to provide affordable houses to slum dwellers

KOLKATA: Firhad Hakim, State Municipal Affairs Minister, said, on July 9, slum dwellers living in vacant government plots can now have their own homes in that place. “We have instructed the Block Land Revenue Officer (BLRO) that in places where slums have come up, government land that has been lying unutilised will be leased out and dwellings can come up under the government sponsored ‘Nijo Bhumi Nijo Griho’ scheme. Houses can also be constructed under the ‘Banglar Bari’ scheme,” said Hakim, while tabling the West Bengal Thika Tenancy (Acquisition and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2019, in the State Assembly. He assured that the decision has already received the approval of the state cabinet.

“The bill empowers the tenant to build his own house by taking bank loans, or through the government’s ‘Banglar Bari’ scheme,” Hakim added.

He further said that the vision of slum dwellers to live in flats can be achieved and in this context, the bill can be regarded as historic. He declared that sanction would also be given for G+4 buildings.

As per Hakim, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation has conducted a survey with the Thika controller and enlisted the amount of land under the Thika tenancy. According to sources, the move would benefit the inhabitants and tenants of the slum areas of Burrabazar, Ahritola, Jadavpur, Chetla and Topsia, wherein they would be able to build residential buildings on their own.