LAHORE: Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has promised provision of as many 100,000 houses to homeless people in Punjab within a year.

Addressing the inauguration ceremony of the three-marla Zahra Homes/Maskan Ravi, at Kala Shah Kaku here on Monday, she said: “Some 100 deserving families have got their own houses. I appreciate RUDA (Ravi Urban Development Authority) and the housing ministry for completing Zahra Homes/Maskan Ravi in a short span of two-and-a-half month.”

“I want to tell the allottees of Zahra Homes that this house belongs to them for life. This is your house. Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar is one of the best schemes in the world.”

She said as many as 2.2 million families in Punjab did not have their own houses.

“Some 100,000 houses will be provided to the deserving families within a year. Those who own plots of one to 10 marla are being given interest-free loans up to Rs1.5m on easy conditions. Those who get the loan will have to pay Rs14,000 per month in easy installments for seven years. If someone has borrowed Rs1.5m for seven years, he has to pay only Rs1.5m. Not even a single penny will be paid in addition to it. Thousands of houses are under construction in 37 districts of Punjab under the Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar scheme. A few [houses] are in the final stages of completion.”

“A scheme is going to be introduced in which free residential plots will be given to the deserving people to build houses soon. Thousands of deserving and poor people will be given three marla plots,” she said.

Published in Dawn, January 14th, 2025