Nijoshree to fulfill lower-middle class housing dreams: Mamata

Kolkata: The Mamata Banerjee government has introduced "Nijoshree" project to help people from the lower-middle class groups to get their own dream homes at a minimum price.

One with income below Rs 15,000 per month and Rs 30,000 per month will be eligible to get one BHK and two BHK flats respectively. A target of constructing 50,000 flats has been set under the project for which the state Housing department is the nodal agency.

A one BHK flat will be of 378 sq feet carpet area and it would cost Rs 7.28 lakh while one has to pay Rs 9.26 lakh for a two BHK flat of 559 sq feet carpet area.

Firhad Hakim, the state Urban Development and Municipal Affairs minister, announced the project at Nabanna on Wednesday after the Cabinet meeting. He said: "There are projects to extend support to people from the BPL group to get their own homes. But it came to our notice that there was nothing as such for the lower middle-class people. Keeping this in mind, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has decided to introduce "Nijoshree" under which flats will be allotted to people from the said group.

He said that a target has been set to give shape to the project within the next two years. "We have already identified some plots where construction of the building will begin soon. At the same time all the concerned departments, development authorities, municipalities, Corporations and panchayats have also been directed to identify plots for the project," he said.

The concerned departments, development authorities and civic bodies can also construct the buildings under the project on the lands they identify. But it will get distributed by the state Housing department.

Each of the buildings will be five-storeyed ones. But there will be no elevators considering that it will increase the maintenance cost. One interested to get a flat in the five-storeyed buildings will have to apply for a flat through a website that the state Housing department will be launching soon. Subsequently, there will be a lottery to allot the flats. Assistance will also be provided to ensure bank loans for purchase. A person cannot apply for the second time if once a flat gets allotted against his or her name.