VMC launches 10,000 housing units

The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) has decided to build around 10,000 houses in different areas for the urban poor in the near future. The civic body kicked off the process with the Slum Rehabilitation Committee (SRC) giving a nod for construction of over 3,276 houses for the urban poor in the city under the Pradhan Mantri Aavas Yojana (PMAY). On this score, the SRC gave in principle nod for bids received to construct houses for the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) staying at Ektanagar on Ajwa Road and Sahkarnagar in the Tandalja area of the city. The projects will be taken up under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode and the slums will be rehabilitated on the same plot where they are located. As per the arrangement, the contractor taking up the work, will construct houses for the EWS on one part of the land and use the remaining for commercial purposes and will also pay a premium to the civic body for the project. The Ektanagar Project will see 1,848 EWS houses being constructed at the site. The realtor will pay the civic body a premium of Rs. 5-cr for the project. Of the 64,135 square meter land on the site, 25,000 sq.ft. space will be used for EWS houses while the remaining will be used for commercial purposes by the contractor. At Sahkarnagar, 1,448 houses will be constructed for the slum dwellers and the VMC will get a premium of Rs. 15.61cr. Of the 44,304 square meter land at the site, around 17,000 square meter will be used for the EWS houses while the rest will house commercial units, said an official spokesperson.