HP invites pvt builders for housing projects

The Himachal Pradesh government has opened the housing sector to the private builders to construct over 2000 flats in the industrial belt of Nalagarh and earmarked space for setting up new townships in the state to decongest crowded tourists destinations like Shimla and Manali.

These flats would come up in Baddi, Nalagarh and nearby places in the industrial belt to accommodate the people working in various projects.

The state government has received investment worth over Rs 18,000 crore (Rs 180 billion) from various industrial houses in the Nalagarh industrial belt. The state government is open to the joint ventures in the housing sector, Harsh Mahajan, state housing minister told rediff.com.

"Last year the state cabinet under the leadership of chief minister Virbhadra Singh decided to enact the Apartment Act in the lines of Punjab and allow non-residents of Himachal Pradesh to buy apartments, plots and houses from private builders approved by the state government. Four builders - Omex, Amaravati, MCD and Mountview have been shortlisted, from over hundred builders. Approval for others is in the pipeline," he said.

The approved builders can sell houses and apartments to buyers. " Those who buy from the approved builders would not have to seek fresh government clearance for buying plots, house or flats. We are going to control these constructions. There is a clause that 15 per cent of the total construction has to be for the weaker sections. But the apple orchards do not fall under this category as it falls under agricultural land," he clarified.

Before the new apartment act, non-residents of Himachal Pradesh were barred from taking up land without the special permission from the deputy commissioner of the concerned area.  New townships are likely to come up between Shimla, Solan, Mandi and next to Palampur.

" We are in the process of acquiring land in these places. We want to have a land bank so that the builders can come to us and buy land of their choice and start projects. Work on alternative new townships would begin in next three or four months," Mahajan said.

In the industrial townships the cost of a two bedroom cum drawing room is likely to be around Rs 10 lakhs while the cost for flats in the new township is likely to he higher by Rs 4 to 5 lakhs per flat.