Rajkot (Gujarat), Oct 19 (PTI) A cobbler who wants to move out of a slum, a widow who wants to leave her son’s home to escape abuse and an anganwadi worker who hopes for a better future for her daughter are among the beneficiaries of the government’s sustainable lighthouse housing project here.
The project under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U) aims to provide 1,144 flats to those from economically weaker sections.
Sixty-five-year-old Kanubehen, who lost her husband recently, said soon after his death, her son and daughter-in-law started abusing her.
“I want to move out of their home and live on my own. I will make ends meet somehow but I need a roof over my head and not live in uncertainty,” she said at the ‘Indian Urban Housing Conclave’ where Prime Minister Narendra Modi handed keys to flats to the scheme’s beneficiaries on Wednesday.
Rajesh Pal, a cobbler, who has spent his life living in a shanty in a slum, said he had never imagined that he would have a proper house.
“But it is happening. It is like a new birth for me and my family. We are looking forward to starting our life as soon as possible here,” he said.
“During the rains water flows into my shanty and is not livable. We frequently get sick because of the unhygienic conditions. We have suffered because of dengue and malaria,” said Pal, who will get a two-bedroom flat under the scheme.
Housing projects under the PMAY-U are being undertaken across the country and construction is based on innovative systems, including green and disaster-resistant technologies, according to the urban development ministry.
For Sanjana, an anganwadi worker, the scheme means a better future for her daughter.
“My daughter aspires to be an engineer. I hope this housing scheme will give her the right environment to focus on her goal,” said Sanjana, who has been allotted a two-bedroom apartment.
The technologies shortlisted under the Global Housing Technology Challenge-India are being adopted for multistorey construction, an official said.
The indigenous innovative technologies and materials showcased at the Indian Housing Technology Mela are apt for low and mid-rise houses of the PMAY-U and individual houses of PMAY-Gramin (rural), according to the official. PTI UZM ANB ANB
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