Himachal pushes affordable housing, new townships
Town and Country Planning Minister Rajesh Dharmani on Monday reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to provide affordable housing and promote planned township development across Himachal.
Presiding over a Board of Directors meeting of the Himachal Pradesh Housing and Urban Development Authority (HIMUDA), Dharmani said the government was launching ambitious urban projects to meet the rising demand for quality housing and ensure structured urban growth.
Highlighting progress on the satellite township near the state capital, he said in the first phase of the Jathia Devi project, HIMUDA would develop 919 residential units on 21 bighas with an estimated investment of Rs 1,327 crore. The project aims to decongest Shimla and spur economic activity in surrounding areas.
The Board also decided to reserve a special quota of residential plots and flats for Olympic and Asian Games medallists, gallantry award winners and recipients of the Children’s Bravery Awards.
Approval was granted to initiate preliminary activities for several projects with an initial allocation of Rs 5 crore. These include the proposed Him Chandigarh Township at Sheetalpur in Baddi (Solan district), a new township at Morni Hills in Pachhad and another planned township at Lunj near the Kangra airport. The projects are expected to modernise urban areas and create residential hubs in high-growth corridors.
OPS not sustainable in long run: Dharmani
Town and Country Planning Minister Rajesh Dharmani on Monday said the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) was not sustainable in the long run and the government would have to consider the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) as an alternative.
“When OPS was restored, the UPS option was not available. Now, it is available. We will have to explore the middle path,” said Dharmani. The restoration of OPS was one of the main guarantees given by the Congress ahead of the 2022 Assembly elections and it was implemented in the first Cabinet meeting after the party came to power.
Dharmani further said the Finance Department had also suggested a shift from OPS to UPS. “We will need to think hard about whether we will be in a position to continue OPS for long,” he said.
The minister alleged that the restoration of OPS was one of the reasons behind the discontinuation of the Revenue Deficit Grant. “It is being said the state government has increased its expenditure and has not maintained financial discipline. It is a clear indication that we have been penalised for restoring the OPS,” he said.
