HOUSING DEPARTMENT Government of West Bengal

Achivements Last Financial Year(201-12)

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The Department of Housing undertakes various activities mainly relating to the framing and implementation of various Social Housing schemes through the Directorate of Housing and West Bengal Housing Board. Besides, there are two other Directorates under the administrative control of the Housing Department viz. the Estate Directorate and the Brick Production Directorate, responsible mainly for the management of different Government Housing Estates, and, Production & supply of quality bricks at reasonable price respectively.

       Housing Department has taken up construction of dwelling units for Economically Weaker Sections of People. The Schemes have been named as “Gitanjali” & “Amar Thikana”.

Part : I

Comparative analysis of the achievement of the Department in 2009 – 10 ,2010 – 11 & 2011 – 12

(`in Crore)

Break-up of Important Programmes/Project of Housing Department

1. 1.    EWS Housing Scheme - “Gitanjali” & “Amar Thikana”

(`in Core)

(a)    Release of Fund for E.W.S. Housing Scheme in respect of Minority Affairs &Madrasa Education Department

(b) Release of Fund for E.W.S. Housing Scheme in respect ofBackward Classes Department

(c)  Release of Fund for E.W.S. Housing Scheme in respect ofForest Department

2.Working Women Hostel Construction

(`in Core)

3. Construction of Housing for L.I.G.(Low Income Group)

(`in Crore) 

4. Construction of Night Shelter

(`in Core) 

5. Construction of Rental Housing Estate(R.H.E) for Government Employees

(`in Crrore) 

6. Replacement &Renovation Work of Government Housing Estate

                                                                                                                        (`in Core) 

Major policy decision/ reforms made by the Government since June, 2011  

a)    All quota systems in respect of allotment of flats have been abolished.

b)    Allotment of flats in Rental Housing Estates (RHE) for the govt. employees and the Public Rental Housing Estates for LIG, MIG, and HIG people was a very cumbersome process so far and inconvenient for the eligible persons and for different Government Employees. The Government Employees and others had to wait for years and run from desk to desk with utmost despair to get allotment of a flat to stay in. With a view to bringing transparency in the system, allotment of flats will be done through application of soft ware by a fully computerised system on first come first serve basis. As soon as that becomes operative, the details of possession and allotment of such flats would be put to this website.

c)    Henceforth all the works of the department with a  tender value above Rs. 2.00 lakh will be taken up through e-tendering for ensuring transparency.   

d)     For more than three decades the buildings constructed by the department were of old fashion and design without the foresight compatible with the demands of the day. There was only one gate for a multi-storied building, that too of 3’ width only. Henceforth, in the multi-storied buildings there will be a 6’ wide exit and provision for an additional emergency exit is being considered to combat the crisis arising out of different types of emergencies including fire hazards, earth-quake etc.  

e)     A seven member ‘Technical-cum-Works Committee’, under the Chairmanship of Secretary, Housing Department for examining the tenders of the Housing Department and monitoring all the works including technicalities, purchase and payment of Housing Directorate, has been constituted and has started functioning.

f)    Besides, a seven member ‘Running Project and Repairing Monitoring Committee’ for monitoring all the running Projects and repairing works of the Housing Department including all purchase & payment, has also been constituted and has started functioning.

g)    Due to the existence of the Arbitration Clause in the tenders of the Housing Deptt., the Govt. had to incur loss of public money to the tune of few crores. Now steps are being taken to withdraw the Arbitration Clause to put a check on the huge leakage of public money.

h)       Special emphasis has been given to the people living in the forest area, Jangal Mahal, Hill areas of Darjeeling, ‘Aila’ affected areas of Sundarbans and to the Minority, SC, ST and OBC people for construction of EWS Housing ‘Gitanjali& ‘Amar Thikana’.The poorest of the poor will be given special priority.

BRGF: -

                With a view to make the  Housing programme for Economically Weaker Section of people (EWS)  more effective and to address the problem of regional imbalances in respect of housing for poor people special stress has been given to the Backward regions (Districts) of the state,  Construction work of houses has been proposed under Special Grant from BRGF for construction of 34,758 dwelling units in 11 backward districts of the state (Purulia,

PaschimMedinipur, PurbaMedinipur,Bankura, Jalpaiguri, Birbhum, South 24 parganas, Malda, Mursidabad, North Dinajpur and South Dinajpur) including LWE (Left Wing

Extremist) areas and matching share from State Budget is proposed for Rs. 45.18 crore.  Theproposal has been sanctioned by the Planning Commission of the Government of India and the Central Government has approved an amount of Rs. 117.06 crore from Central Fund for the project and already allotted Rs. 40.00 crore in the 1st phase. The total project cost is Rs. 162.24 crore.  The scheme will start in the year 2012-13. The area of such dwelling houses will be 20 sq m./215 sq ft. (approx). The unit cost will be Rs. 48,500/- for Hill, Coastal area and Jungal Mahal area; b) Unit cost for other areas will be Rs. 45,000/-.

 Prior to this there had been no contemplation of special emphasis on part of the State Government for addressing the abject housing crisis of the backward districts from BRGF or any other Central Government Fund. This is for the first time that the Government has laid proper focus on this issue and has been successful in drawing fund from Government of India under BRGF Special Grant. Under the scheme the housing crisis of the poor people will be mitigated to some extent, some employment opportunities will be open for the rural workers as well as it will address the issue of regional imbalances to some extent. Families enlisted under BPL category will be eligible for the scheme.

Apart from this special emphasis has also been given for the minority people of the state with a view to optimizing planning proportions. Apart from the four Districts viz. Malda, Murshidabad, Uttar Dinajpur and DakshinDinajpur previously taken up for construction of “Gitanjali”, EWS Housing Scheme for poor people of Minority Community, the programme has been extended to five more Districts viz. Nadia, Hooghly, Bankura, North 24-Parganas and South 24-Parganas. The Dwelling Units will be given to the people free of cost,

This Department has adopted a new policy recently and contemplates to construct night shelters within the campus of Medical Colleges/ Districts/ Sub-Divisional Hospitals in urban areas for the purpose of benefit of patient parties and night shelters at Bus-Stands  through urban local bodies to provide shelters during night to stranded passengers coming from rural areas to visit District / Sub-divisional Head Quarters of the Districts for attending Collectorate / SDO Office / Courts / Hospitals etc. for their need. After construction, management of the Night Shelters will be handed over to the concerned Hospital Authorities and local authorities respectively.

Apart from this the department has decided to construct Night Shelter –cum- Bus Shelter-cum – Pay & Use toilet throughout the state at every 50 kms of the National Highways, State Highways and other important roads for the passengers, specially the women partaking their journey by road.