Housing for poor, insurance cover in Haryana`s 2013-14 Budget

Chandigarh: Unveiling Budget 2013-14, the Haryana government on Friday announced it will build 3.5 lakh houses in two years and offer insurance cover for the poor under `Aam Aadmi Bima Yojana`.

Proposing no new taxes, Haryana Finance Minister Harmohinder Singh Chatha said the Haryana Infrastructural Development Board is being constituted to spearhead efforts to bring in more private sector investment in PPP mode. Decision has been taken to implement projects in six core sectors - Roads and Highways, Healthcare, Education and Skill Development, Tourism, Urban Transport System and Water Supply, Sanitation and Public Utilities - in urban and rural areas. "I want to extend my solemn assurance that we will not leave any stone unturned to take the state to the higher trajectory of development with the same commitment as we have exhibited in the last eight years," Chatha said presenting the Budget in the state assembly here. As per the Budget proposals, the total receipts will be Rs 65,745.75 crore and the expenditure will be at Rs 66,178.49 crore -- resulting in a mere deficit of Rs 432.74 crore. Chatha said the government will launch an ambitious housing scheme named "Priyadarshini Awaas Yojana" to facilitate the housing delivery in rural areas with an objective. This will ensure housing delivery in rural areas to the eligible/identified families under IAY & other poor families including those, who have been allotted 100 sq. Yards plots and have no house or have a kutcha house by providing them financial assistance. He said that initially, 2 lakh families are to be covered in a project span of two years (FY 2013-14 & 2014-15) and each of the beneficiary will be given financial assistance of Rs 81,000 as grant for the construction of a new house. In addition, an assistance of Rs 9,100 shall be provided to each of the beneficiaries for the construction of sanitary latrine in convergence with Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan (NBA), Chatha said, adding Rs 350 crore in Budget Estimates 2013-14 has been provided for this purpose with a similar provision to follow in the next year. In order to cater to the requirement of affordable housing for the weaker sections residing in the Urban Areas, the government will construct 1.50 lakh houses during the next financial years 2013-14 and 2014-15 through Housing Board Haryana, Urban Local Bodies and Town & Country Planning department. Among other initiatives proposed include Aam Aadmi Bima Yojana that is being started during 2013-14 for which Rs 37 crore is being provided. It will cover rural and urban BPL households or families marginally above the poverty line. He said that it will provide insurance cover of Rs 30,000 on natural death, Rs 37,500 on partial permanent disability due to accident and Rs 75,000 on death or total permanent disability due to accident. PTI