Muhammad Saleem

The Punjab government’s poor-centric housing project will help revive the construction and real estate sectors, which are in a slump, leaving thousands of workers jobless. Javed Kamal, an architect, told WealthPK that the construction sector was in a tailspin due to the skyrocketing prices of raw material. He said without a helping hand from the government, the sector would not be able to regain its lost ground.  He said the Punjab government’s ‘Apni Chhat Apna Ghar’ project aimed to provide affordable apartments to people. He said this initiative was the need of the hour to revive the sagging construction activities and to meet the demand for housing. Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz inaugurated the scheme on August 14, 2024, for the labourers and workers hoping to make them homeowners. The provincial government will provide a housing subsidy to the people selected under the scheme.

“The project has been planned in a way to assist the economically-disadvantaged families, making them homeowners,” said Kamal. “Prices of raw material have gone through the roof and it is impossible for the marginalised segments to afford construction of a house. However, the Punjab government’s scheme will make their dream a reality,” he said. “In the past, scores of projects were announced for the lower-income groups, but they could not see the light of the day,” Kamal pointed out. He said the housing project would generate increased economic activity. “Local contractors, builders, allied businesses like steel, bricks, cement, wood and others will be the first in line as direct beneficiaries of this project,” he added. He said that the construction of thousands of apartments in different cities would create a ripple effect leading to job creation.  Akbar Ali, a contractor, told WealthPK that a slowdown in the construction activity had rendered thousands of workers jobless during an era of record-high inflation.

He said the Punjab government’s scheme emerged as a ray of hope for the revival of the construction sector. “We have started to contact workers so that we can bring them back into construction work,” he added. “The government will provide interest-free loans to the lower-income groups to build their own houses. The project will generate a lot of construction activities and jobs.” Ali said infrastructure development and construction of housing units would stimulate demand for construction materials and labour. He said that the housing project envisaged a public-private partnership. “This partnership will boost the confidence of investors and ultimately turn the tide for the private housing sector, lifting it out of the prevailing crisis.” “We need to adopt innovative construction techniques to stay ahead of the curve in response to climate change.”

Credit: INP-WealthPk