Commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal has suggested that the real estate sector and the government work together using the PM Gati Shakti platform to drive connectivity and affordability in the housing sector.
“If the government and your sector were to work in tandem we would be in a position to guide the government sponsored projects to help your industry meet the needs of the people and provide necessary connectivity so that affordable housing can be made available for more and more people,” he said at Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Associations event on Monday.
PM Gati Shakti started in 2021 helps the government to assess the planning needs of each area. So far it has been used to plan the government’s infrastructure and social sector projects. Most of the projects approved under the Gati Shakti are the large connectivity projects by roads and highway ministry and railways.
He also asked the real estate industry to look beyond the Indian market to utilise the opportunity available in other countries as they expand housing or rebuild the old ones to spur their economy or to provide housing. Goyal said on his recent visit, Australia had mentioned that they need half a million houses immediately and similar situations would exist in other parts of the world.
“It will also add to our exports of services, export of infrastructure building capabilities to other parts of the world,” Goyal said. . He also proposed a dialogue with the industry to take the government’s scheme for Affordable Rental Housing forward. The scheme was launched in 2020 for migrant workers.
Goyal also asked the industry to work on reducing pollution at construction sites in 20 big cities and towns through use of prefabricated materials and steel. “It can help us reduce the AQI levels, help us reduce the pollution levels. We have seen these countries use this very effectively.” CREDAI should set up a team to study the idea and report back to the government.
According to available data, construction activities contribute significantly to air pollution in India, accounting for roughly 20-30% of overall air pollution, with a large portion of this attributed to dust generated during construction processes, making it a major contributor to the country’s pollution issue.
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