Puducherry, July 18 (IANS) Apart from the earlier proposal to build 1.5 million houses for urban poor, the government will build a million affordable houses for the middle income group, Minister of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Kumari Selja said here Saturday.
“Now, we have launched another scheme called Affordable Housing. Under this new scheme we are targeting another 10 lakh (1 million) houses, not only covering economically weaker section but also MIG (middle income group),” she said.

Her ministry earlier decided to construct about 1.5 million houses for the urban poor under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission.

“For housing and basic amenities, we have sanctioned projects worth Rs.33,652 crore. We have committed Additional Central Assistance of about Rs.18,500 crore,” Kumari Selja said.

To provide housing to the urban poor, the ministry recently launched an interest subsidy scheme.

Under this scheme, the urban poor will be able to get housing loans from banks and institutions at an interest rate 5 percent lower than the market rate.