Light House Project : Vijay Rupani allots 1,144 flats under Centre’s LHP project in Rajkot
Vijay Rupani on Monday claimed that Rajkot was ahead of all other participating cities in implementation of the project under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) of the Central government.
CHIEF MINISTER Vijay Rupani on Monday conducted computerized draw of lots to decide lucky winners of 1,144 2BHK flats being constructed in Rajkot under the Light House Project (LHP) initiative of the Central government.
The CM also launched projects worth Rs 232 crore of Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC) and Rajkot Urban Development Authority (RUDA), including allotment of more than 1,700 affordable houses, road to give connectivity to proposed site of AIIMS, gardens, bus shelters and a tertiary treatment plant to treat sewage water, through video-conferencing.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid the foundation stone of the Rs 118-crore LHP project on January 1 this year and RMC officers had said that 1,144 2BHK flats would be constructed within 12 months by using tunnel formwork technology that allows constructing a monolithic structure in a manner speedier than conventional construction methods.
Modi had simultaneously laid foundation stones of LHP projects in Indore, Chennai, Lucknow, Ranchi and Agartala also. Rupani on Monday claimed that Rajkot was ahead of all other participating cities in implementation of the project under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) of the Central government.
“Light House Project is an ambitious project of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It was launched in five states… Only Gujarat has completed this work, while other states are working at a very slow pace. So, I congratulate RMC for completing the Light House Project and bringing it to a stage where we are heading towards conducting a draw of lots for allotting houses,” Rupani said, addressing the ceremony from Gandhinagar.
According to RMC officicals, each of 1,144 flats being constructed for EWS-II (economically weaker section-II) category is estimated to cost Rs 10.5 lakh but beneficiaries will get it for Rs 3.39 lakh. The Centre is providing Rs 4 lakh per dwelling unit (DU) additional technology grant. In affordable housing schemes under PMAY, the Centre and state each give Rs 1.5 lakh subsidy while local urban bodies (IUBs) like RMC contribute in terms of making land available.
EWS-II flats in Rajkot usually cost Rs 5.5 lakh to beneficiairies but the ones in LHP are cheaper due to additional Central grant.
The contractor has finished laying the foundation of 11 towers (stilt-plus-13-storeys) in five months since the work began in January. “There was some disruption in construction due to the Covid-19 pandemic but the contractor is confident of completing the project within given time,” Rajkot Municipal Commissioner Udit Agrawal told The Indian Express.
The CM also allotted 614 houses constructed by RUDA that were vacant or were surrendered by beneficiaries.
Rupani also laid the foundation stone of Rs 9.18-crore project to construct a road from Khandheri railway station to the proposed site of AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences) in Para Pipaliya village on Jamnagar Road on the outskirts of the city. The four-lane road project of RUDA also includes construction of a river bridge.
The CM also laid the foundation stone of a tertiary treatment plant (TTP) to further purify sewage water treated by a sewage water treatment plant (STP) in Raiyadhar area of the city. The Rs 17.45-crore project is being undertaken under the Smart City Mission.
The CM said that these were important projects and asked the civic body to complete them at the earliest. “Along with AIMS, roads connecting to it are important so that people from across Saurashtra can reach it easily. Khandheri station will also become an important place on the map of the country now,” Rupani said.
He also inaugurated a children’s park downstream the Nyari dam, gardens in Maharshi Aravind Township and on Sadhu Vasvani Kunj Road in Railnagar, new BRTS bus shelter in KKV Chowk and expanded bus shelter at Gondal Chowkadi.
He also laid the foundation stones to redevelop 80-feet road at the cost of Rs 5 crore, to install gas and electric furnaces in Raiya crematorium at the cost of Rs 4.19 crore, to construct a new ward office on Sahkar Main Road at the cost of Rs 49.90 lakh and eight box culverts across Parsana Nagar natural drain at the cost of Rs 3.15 crore. Other projects whose foundations were laid include stormwater drains, drinking water pipelines and replacing old sewage lines.