Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday said the Centre plans to construct over 15 lakh houses for the urban poor. Inaugurating a `2,400-crore housing project for slum-dwellers on the outskirts of the city, he said he hopes Chandigarh would soon become India’s “first slum-free city”, as he handed over keys to newly-built flats to slum-dwellers.
The PM was in Chandigarh to hand over documents and keys to 10 flats to beneficiaries in a housing colony in Dhanas area of the union territory under the city’s slum rehabilitation scheme.
Addressing a gathering at newly built flats, the Prime Minister said rapid urbanisation was putting pressure on urban centres. “We have over 10 crore people living in slums across the country. Urban centres are under pressure from rapid urbanisation,” Dr Singh said.
Complimenting the authorities for constructing the flats, he said the rehabilitation scheme will help make Chandigarh slum-free. “I hope Chandigarh becomes India’s first slum-free city soon,” he said. Punjab governor Shivraj Patil, Haryana governor Jagannath Pahadia, Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda accompanied the Prime Minister to the site.