Himachal to have five new satellite towns

SHIMLA: Around 72,000 applicants who are waiting for the allotment of plot or flat by Himachal Pradesh Housing and Urban Development Authority (HIMUDA) since 2010 have got a ray of hope as the state government has finally assured to fulfill its promise by identifying suitable land for the purpose. It was the dream to own a house in hill towns that people from across country had applied to HIMUDA scheme and had even deposited Rs 5000 in cash with the application but latter could not find the land to keep its promise.
Minister for urban development Sudhir Sharma said that government is intending to make available plots at reasonable rates to cater to the housing needs of people and for this application would be invited shortly. He said the government has decided to buy land for the purpose and while making allotment, the old applicants too would be considered.
HIMUDA under previous BJP regime had invited application for flats and plots and had collected around Rs 36 crore through cash deposit by the applicants but the scheme failed when HIMUDA could not identify the desired land. According to sources, while land between 20,000 bigha to 25,000 bigha was required to cater to the demand ,HIMUDA could identify around 358 bigha land in Sirmaur and Solan districts only.
A survey conducted during the BJP regime had shown that large number of outsiders from all over India were keen on buying houses in popular tourist destinations like Shimla, Kasauli, Solan, Kullu-Manali and Solan. The maximum demand for houses is in Shimla with 11,000 applications followed by 8,000 for Hamirpur. The demand was also quite high in the Kasauli, Manali and Sirmaur areas too but failure to acquire the required land had proved dampener.
While in opposition Congress had made it an issue inside and outside the assembly. Congress then had accused the BJP government of exploiting the housing dreams by floating the scheme without completing the ground work.
"Before floating the scheme, we would complete the required home work so that housing dreams of people are realized without any delay. We are identifying the available land so that applicants do not have to wait longer," said Sudhir Sharma.
The minister said that five new satellite towns too would be set up at Shimla, Hamirpur, Dharamshala, Solan and Mandi. He said that as these satellite towns require huge investments which HIMUDA could not invest on its own, so the possibilities of foreign direct investment (FDI) or public private partnership (PPP) mode basis too would be explored through which big firms would come and construct huge colonies in above five towns.