Even by paying the market price for land, ample extra funds can be generated because in the city of
Cochin Apartments and flats have many takers. The leading builders have rightly proved it. So where is the problem of finance for the private players? The only problem is a lack of the right attitude and a proper vision for urban development.
Questions arise with the issue of private participation in infrastructure development. In addition, many of the schemes developed earlier for housing development are still awaiting the cabinet nod. Then why the government should not implement this wonderful scheme? Where is the need now to grope in the dark for anything from a proven new building materials technology, an executing agency, land and infrastructure to finance for development? What is the point in spending 10 to 25 percent of the available funds on government Housing Corporation’s establishment costs, when it is clear that it cannot create ample social mass housing units and have miserably failed in their statutory duties and functions?
So let proven industrial concerns, builders and others build and the housing bodies/housing financing banks can do the selling. Implement this solution and Cochin’s housing and slum problems will be solved within a short period of time. We are sure that the ever progressive Government of Kerala will certainly implement innovative ideas in a better way as is already being seen in the new policy decisions.
Public purpose and public interest can only be best sub served if the government housing bodies only does the selling of the housing stock thus created. Considering all these developments, the main reason for drafting and passing the Urban Land (Ceiling & Regulation) Act, was to provide shelter to the economically weaker sections of the society. It is now absolutely clear that the government bodies such as housing boards, corporations and housing financing banks should allot, distribute and sell the housing stock created and should not leave this work to the builders.
