Recognition of housing as a basic right of every family is the theme of a memorandum being submitted by the Kerala State Housing Board Employees’ Association to the Union government through the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC).
Why cannot the government come forward to amend the Constitution to protect the right of the citizens to have a decent shelter was the fundamental question raised in the paper, submitted at the 29th plenary session of the INTUC in the city early this week.
With the government having introduced steps such as the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme, the National Health Insurance Scheme and compulsory primary education for all children, it is expected that the issue of housing will be addressed with the seriousness it deserves, said the paper, submitted at the session by Vithura Sasi, working president of the association.
The government cannot shy away from its responsibility to provide affordable housing for all, especially the weaker sections of society, said E. Sankaran Potty, general secretary of the association, explaining the contents of the proposed memorandum. According to figures provided by the association, there will be a shortage of 24.71 million housing units in the country in the near future.
The paper quoted a study by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India, which said that despite the current slump, demand for housing would become “stronger and more intense” with rising income, a swelling middle class and rapid urbanisation. At present, the housing shortage is 19.4 million units in the country, of which 6.7 per cent is in rural areas.
News Published Under: The Hindu