June 3, 2015
Housing for all – Bengal shows the way
During its tenure, the Trinamool Government has achieved quite a lot in terms of building residences for economically weaker sections (EWS), low-income group (LIG) families and middle-income group (MIG) families, night-stay facilities for people accompanying patients in medical colleges and district hospitals, hostels for working women, housing for government employees, etc.
This is proved by the expenditure the Trinamool Government has made vis-à-vis the Left Front Government. Comparing the last three years of the latter and the first three years of the former, there is a marked difference in the numbers – Rs 194 crore against Rs 1,135 crore, which is an increase by almost six times.
Housing for the rural poor
For people categorized as economically weaker sections (EWS), the Trinamool Government has created two schemes, ‘Gitanjali’ and ‘Amar Thikana’. Due to the introduction of the Gitanjali and Amar Thikana schemes, the thrust towards construction of rural housing has been much better.
For the EWS, the Left Front Government, during its last two years, helped 32,340 rural families to construct houses, or 16,170 per year on an average. During Trinamool rule, every year, on an average, 31,284 families, or almost double the earlier number, have benefited.
Other housing schemes
- Till March 31, 2014, for the EWS in the urban areas, under the Gitanjali scheme, 720 flats have been constructed in the New Town-Rajarhat, near Kolkata
- In Durgapur, a 40-bed hostel for working women, named Ananya has been constructed
- In Salt Lake, Kolkata, the 44-bed hostel for working women, Swayamsiddha, has been renovated
- Hostel for working women at Ibrahimpur area of Jadavpur is being constructed
- For State Government employees, a 48-apartment housing estate in Bishnupur and a 24-apartment housing estate in Diamond Harbour
- Works for a 60-apartment housing estate in Khatra, a 24-apartment housing estate in Bachurdoba in Jhargram and a 48-apartment housing housing estate are almost complete
- 48 flats each for LIG and MIG families in New Town-Rajarhat are almost complete
- Almost important roads in the State, every 50 kilometres, hotels for travelers with facilities like cabins, parking areas, toilets and fooding are being constructed. Twelve such facilities are on their way to completion, in Raghunathpur, Karanjana, Shantipur, Haringhata, Krishnagar, Diamond Harbour, Pailan, Behrampur, Nandakumar, Jamaldaha, Bagdogra and Dhalsa
- Night stay facilities for people travelling with patients in medical colleges and district hospitals
- For higher-income Government officials, a rental housing estate (G+10) in Salt Lake, Kolkata
The image is representative
