GUWAHATI, Jan 23 - Stating that all urban centres, be it a city or a town, need a vast army of service providers, like drivers, plumbers, electricians, mechanics, barbers, carpenters, and a host of others, who find gainful employment in these centres, the Assam Real Estate and Infrastructure Developers� Association (AREIDA) today said that this essential service providing workforce in the Guwahati Metropolitan region � estimated to be 8,60,866 by 2025 � was in urgent need of housing.
�This is a primary need. It is also imperative to locate such housing near work places, commercial areas, hospitals, schools and colleges, transport nodes and housing/residential areas � proximity to which is essential for their livelihood,� AREIDA president PK Sharma said.
Sharma stated that at the current cost of construction, and on completion even the most basic finished home will be way above the affordable limit for (EWS) and (LIG). �Due to lack of government initiatives, we see the large-scale growth of slums in encroached land and illegal constructions leading to degeneration of urban centres to make life miserable for legitimate citizens,� he added.
Sharma added that AREIDA had submitted detailed proposals to both State and Central governments, with a researched method of achieving the objective of affordable housing.
�We request all political parties to take this issue of affordable housing seriously, and make public their support to this cause in larger public interest. We at AREIDA hereby pledge our commitment to take on the responsibility of the role entrusted to us,� he said.
The association further �wholeheartedly welcomes� the �Start-up India� initiative of the Government of India.
