Friday, November 22, 2024
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State Govt readies draft guidelines

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Construction of low cost houses under MHS

SHILLONG: The State Government has formulated draft guidelines for the proposed low cost housing units under the Meghalaya Housing Scheme (MHS).

“The draft guidelines are at present is being examined by the Planning department. After the approval of the Planning department, the draft guidelines will then be examined by the Finance department,” Housing department director RM Kurbah said on Friday.

Kurbah said that the finalization of the draft guidelines will take some time since it has to go to the Cabinet for final approval.

When asked about the Expression of Interest (EOIs) which was floated by the department last year to identify the latest technologies which are available for construction of low cost housing units, she said, “at the moment, the process (opening of EOIs) has been kept in abeyance,”.

She said that the Government is planning to introduce the housing scheme, which will replace the age-old custom of distributing corrugated galvanized iron (CGI) sheets to the poor.

It may be mentioned that the decision to introduce the MHS comes in the wake of various allegations, which have been levelled against the distribution of CGI sheets.

According to the scheme, assistance will be provided to homeless people for constructing low cost homes worth Rs 1 lakh, she said.

Earlier, former Housing Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh had said the new scheme is expected to reduce anomalies, which have allegedly plagued the procurement and distribution of CGI sheets.

The Meghalaya Right to Information Movement (MRTIM), a group of RTI activists, had brought to light various anomalies in the supply of CGI sheets.

According to the group’s findings, over Rs 9 crore has been allegedly “misappropriated” from 2003 to 2006 during the purchase of CGI sheets in Meghalaya, as part of Pradhan Mantri Gramodaya Yojana (PMGY) scheme and the Rural Housing Scheme meant for providing roof sheets to the poor.

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