NE MPs urge Centre to establish ARHC for NE youth in Delhi

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaDecember 6, 2023

North East MP’s Forum on Wednesday urged the Centre to establish an affordable rental housing scheme (ARHC) as a sustainable habitat for NE youth, who are studying and working in Delhi.

In a letter to the Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the Forum said that “As the ARHC Policy allows Government Agencies to create their own Affordable Rental Housing Complexes (ARHC), we request your kind intervention to speak to Land Owning Agencies in Delhi to hand over either a vacant land or unutilized land for developing and operating ARHC with modern amenities…”

It said that lakhs of students/single working persons from North East have made Delhi their base for educational, job opportunities and economic advancement. They are not interested in ownership housing in urban areas and generally look for affordable rental accommodation to save on expenses but most of them find hassles in finding a place with proper civic amenities.

The letter said there have been instances wherein youth from North East not only face discrimination but a host of other challenges in terms of demand for very high rent/commissions to property brokers and later on problems in getting refund of security deposit as most of the landlords don’t want to execute written rent agreement. Post accommodation, they are face issues of rent enhancement/differences over cultural and dietary habits which even leads to law-and-order issues.

COVID 19 Pandemic forced threw unforeseen challenges on the student community in Delhi. Delhi / NCR is the first stop for students from North East to seek education and economic opportunities.

The letter also said that the Ministry of Housing and Urban affairs (MoHUA) has initiated a scheme for development of Affordable Rental Housing Complexes (ARHCS) under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana -Urban (PMAY-U) that aims at creating vibrant, sustainable and inclusive affordable rental housing avenues and provide them dignified living with all civic amenities in proximity to their workplace.

It further said that the North East MPs Forum has been interacting with the Architecture Department, School of Planning & Architecture, New Delhi on this subject, they can be an ideal PMC Apency to prepare a DPR and submit the same for approval by the Competent Authority including obtaining statutory approvals from the different statutory bodies in Delhi.