The Ashok Gehlot government has made the decision to offer government housing for rent for as little as Rs 300 per month in anticipation of the next Assembly elections.
These will be condominiums constructed under the affordable housing programme. Additionally, the rental agreement will be written so that, after ten years, the renter only needs to pay the balance of the current price to acquire ownership of the property.
“Families with an annual income of below Rs 3,00,000 are eligible for this scheme. Several properties constructed under the affordable housing scheme have been lying vacant for years. The plan is to utilise them and serve the weaker sections in Rajasthan,” said a senior urban and housing (UHD) department official.
According to data available, around 14,000 more of these 1 BHK flats in seven other cities in the state, as well as over 7,000 of them in Jaipur’s multi-story buildings (ground floor + three storeys), are unoccupied. Ajmer and Alwar have a significant number of these abandoned properties inside the districts.
“All basic facilities such as roads, electricity, water, etc., have been made available by concerned urban civic bodies at the places. The allottees, however, will have to bear the water and electricity bills as per consumption. These houses will be allotted on a first come-first serve basis,” said a press release issued by the government.
The programme, according to officials, has the extra benefit of allowing allottees to purchase the apartment after ten years by paying the balance of the property’s current price. This implies that the rent they pay over a ten-year period will be regarded as principle with no interest.
“The current prices of these units range between Rs 4 lakh and Rs 5 lakh. The Rs 300 rent for 10 years would come to Rs 36,000,” said an official.
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