MMDA undertakes affordable rental home project

Mumbai: The Mumbai Metropolitan Development Authority has undertaken an ambitious project to provide 5 lakh houses in the metropolitan region for the middle and lower middle class on a rental basis, the Chief Minister, Mr Vilasrao Deshmukh, said at Constru India 2008, a construction and infrastructure expo, here.

The units of 160 sq ft would be made available between Rs 800 and Rs 1,500. This year the authority planned to construct 50,000 houses at cost of Rs 100 crore.

“If we are able to make affordable rental houses available to the weaker sections that had to migrate from rural areas to cities in search of livelihood, they will not be forced to live in the slums,” he said.

Mr Deshmukh said to provide better connectivity to hinterlands, airports at Latur and Nanded in the Marathwada region were made operational and a few airlines have started operating in the airports.

Further, the Government was making an airport in Sholapur in southern Maharashtra operational shortly.

Mr Deshmukh said Mumbai in two years would have a world class exhibition centre at the Bandra Kurla Complex here.

This centre was being developed by Reliance Industries on 7.5 hectares and the largest hall would have a 50,000 seats.