The government should work towards providing houses at affordable prices to the middleclass and those belonging to economically weaker sections of society.
This was a common opinion expressed during the inauguration of the two-day “Mangalore Realty and Buildcon Expo 2012” organised by the Manipal Ace here on Saturday.
Raising the issue of affordable housing, Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly N. Yogish Bhat said that there were many from the middleclass and economically poor sections in the State who still did not have houses. Though the State government was committed towards providing affordable houses, builders should come forward to make it a reality, he said.
Mr. Bhat said that the cost of construction of a house in Mangalore was now between Rs. 4,000 and Rs. 4,500 per square foot. Technology such as the one in France, which helps build houses in just 15 days, should be used in the State. Builders should consider using available resources such as silt and fly ash for reducing the cost of construction, he added.
President of the Mangalore Chapter of the Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Association of India P.M.A. Razak said giving affordable housing will solely depend on the Government. Mr. Razak said that the Government should first take measures to regulate the prices of steel and cement, which were increasing at a faster rate. He said the Government should also fasten the process of granting sanctions for construction. “Presently two to three years was being taken to sanction. Imagine the increase in the costs in this period that has to be borne by the person aspiring for a house,” he said.
Mr. Razak said that the Government should also consider recommendation of Planning Commission to reduce wastage of land and increase the floor area ratio (FAR).
This would allow construction of multistoried residential complexes and would drastically bring down the cost of construction. “Nearly 50 per cent of the building cost goes towards the cost of land. The price of land in areas such as Falnir has risen from Rs. 2 lakh to Rs. 25 lakh,” he said. The Government should invest in technologies that reduce the cost of construction in a way it has been done in Spain and Thailand, he added.
Mr. Razak said that these were among the issues that CREDAI will be raising during its nation-wide agitation on October 14 and draw the attention of the Government. Managing Director of Manipal Technologies T. Gautam Pai and Lions District 324 D5 Governor P. Kishore Rao also spoke.
