Lok Sabha Question No. 1405 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-12-15
Subject: Launch of ARHCs
Ministry: HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS
Asked by: Sangeeta Kumari Singh Deo, Jayanta Kumar Roy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1405

TO BE ANSWERED ON DECEMBER 15, 2022

## LAUNCH OF ARHCs

## NO. 1405.      SHRIMATI SANGEETA KUMARI SINGH DEO: DR. JAYANTA KUMAR ROY:

Will  the  Minister  of  HOUSING  AND  URBAN  AFFAIRS  be  pleased  to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  recently  launched  Affordable  Rental Housing  Complexes  (ARHCs)  scheme  for  migrants  and  urban  poor
- and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether  the  Government  proposes  reforms  to  increase  efficiency and transparency in property tax collection by Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) to improve revenues and make them self-reliant and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  examine  the  demands  of housing  industry  regarding  change  in  income  tax  law  to  enable builders  reduce  their  selling  prices  of  apartments  and  if  so,  the details thereof;
- (d) whether the Government has suggested the State Governments to reduce the stamp duty on properties and if so, the details thereof including response received so far; and
- (e) the other steps being taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS (SHRI KAUSHAL KISHORE)

- (a):  Yes,  Sir.  The  Ministry  of  Housing  and  Urban  Affairs  (MoHUA)  is implementing Affordable Rental Housing Complexes (ARHCs) as a subscheme of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Urban (PMAY-U) since 2020. The Scheme is being implemented through following two Models:

Model-1:  Utilising  existing  Government  funded  vacant  houses  in cities by converting them into ARHCs under Public Private Partnership mode or by public agencies.

Model-2:  Incentivising  Private/Public  Entities  to  Construct,  Operate and Maintain ARHCs on their own available vacant land.

ARHCs  covers  all  Statutory  Towns  as  per  Census  2011  and  Towns of Development Authorities.  States/Union  Territories  (UTs)  may  consider  any  project notified subsequently, Notified Planning Areas and areas Development/Special Area Development/Industrial as ARHCs in any other areas after due notification.

Beneficiaries under the Scheme  are  from Economically  Weaker Section (EWS)/Low Income Group (LIG) who are urban migrants/poor. They  include  labour,  urban  poor  (street  vendors,  rickshaw  pullers, other service providers etc.), industrial workers, and migrants working with market/trade associations, educational/health institutions, hospitality  sector,  long  term  tourists/visitors,  students  or  any  other persons of such category.

- (b):  In  order  to  increase  efficiency  and  transparency  in  property  tax collection  by  Urban  Local  Bodies  (ULBs)  to  improve  revenues  and make them self-reliant, following measures have been taken:
- i. Atal  Mission  for  Rejuvenation  and  Urban  Transformation  (AMRUT) 2.0  and  Swachh Bharat  Mission  (SBM)  (Urban)  2.0  launched  on  01 October, 2021 require property tax and user charges reforms.
- ii. For being eligible for 15 th   Finance Commission grants for ULBs for the year 2022-23, States are required to notify floor rates of property tax  and  for  the  following  years,  demonstrate  increase  in  property tax collections equivalent to simple average growth rate of State's own GSDP in the most recent five years.
- (c): There is no such proposal.
- (d) & (e): In view of Covid-19 pandemic, MoHUA has advised the States/UTs to consider reduction in stamp duty rates on transaction of sale/purchase  of  immovable  property  for  specific  period  of  time  to encourage the home buyers and sellers to expedite their transactions. Government of Maharashtra has reduced the stamp duty charges rates on  transaction  of  immovable  property  by  3%  till  31 st   December  2020 and  by  2%  till  31 st March  2021  to  boost  sales  of  Real  Estate  Sector. Government of Karnataka also reduced the Stamp Duty and Registration Charges.

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