Rs1m interest-free loans for additional floor construction announced
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has decided to launch the Apna Ghar, Mehfooz Ghar (My Home, Safe Home) programme under the existing Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar (My Roof, My Home) initiative to make homes across the province safer and prevent tragedies like the Kahna incident.
The decision was taken during a special meeting chaired by the chief minister, where it was agreed to further expand the scope of the Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar programme. The meeting considered introducing two new categories under the Apna Ghar, Mehfooz Ghar programme.
Under the proposed programme, interest-free loans of Rs500,000 will be provided for the renovation and strengthening of houses with weak roofs or dilapidated structures. Interest-free loans of Rs1 million will also be offered in easy instalments for constructing an additional storey or floor.
The meeting also reviewed progress on the Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar and Apni Zameen, Apna Ghar (My Land, My Home) programmes. A report on the successful participation of the Punjab Pakistan Pavilion in Baku was presented along with a special documentary.
The meeting was informed that interest-free loans had been approved for more than 180,000 homeless families under the Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar programme, while loans had already been disbursed to 170,000 families. An amount of Rs217.8 billion has been released for the programme, and around 27,500 houses are in the final stages of completion. The briefing further stated that 134,343 houses had been completed across Punjab under the programme, while more than 1.278 million applications had been received from homeless families.
