LAHORE: Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif will launch ‘Apni Chhat Apna Ghar’ housing programme on August 14 as model houses have been constructed under a pilot project.

Presiding over a meeting here on Sunday, Ms Sharif approved three models for the house to be built under the scheme.

She directed the officials to include a living room in the map of the model houses and to introduce a toll free number for the facilitation of the people interested in the project.

She has also directed the authorities concerned not to impose service charges on those acquiring bank loans to purchase residential plots for constructing their homes.

On the CM’s direction, the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) will prepare a special portal so that the aspirants may submit their applications online.

Housing Secretary Asad Ullah Khan briefed the meeting on the scheme and said that application forms for the programme could be acquired from the offices of deputy commissioners and assistant commissioners and the owners from one to five marla plots could get interest-free loans for building a house. They will also be provided the facility to pay back their loans in installments.

It was informed that PC-1 of developing a ground on the state land, along with a triple-storey apartment has been approved and feasibility study will be conducted soon.

Also allottees of the Punjab Housing & Town Planning Authority (PHATA) may get 3 and 5 marla houses in the private schemes and they will pay back their housing loans in five years.

The provincial government will grant a subsidy in order to reduce the burden of construction cost of a house in the private scheme.

At least 70,000 plot owners may acquire a loan in any city or a village. The government will pay the service charges on the grant of a loan through the microfinance institutions.

Senator Pervaiz Rasheed and senior provincial minister Marriyum Aurangzeb also attended the meeting.

Published in Dawn, August 5th, 2024