Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserts, global challenge of COVID-19 gives a scope to innovate and incubate new technology

New Delhi, Jan 01, 2021: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today promised housing for all and said it is time to put an end to the miseries of the poor, while laying the foundation stone of Light House Projects (LHPs) under Global Housing Technology Challenge (GHTC)-India, across six States in the country today through video conferencing. Mr. Modi said the Light House Projects will showcase the best forms of technology, used for public welfare and light house projects will help support urban housing needs.

The Prime Minister said, the projects will make every citizen proud that the nation is leveraging high-end technology to give an impetus to our development trajectory. Greeting everyone on the occasion of new year, the Prime Minister said that we enter 2021 with new vigour and opportunities.

The Prime Minister said, housing schemes were not in the priority list of earlier Central Governments. Mr. Modi added that the current government realises that transformation is impossible without all-around development. He said, the country has adopted a new approach and a different road ahead.

Mr Modi asserted that the global challenge of COVID-19 gave the nation a scope to innovate and incubate new technology. The Prime Minister informed that in Ranchi, a 3D construction system from Germany is being used, whereas steel frame technology from New Zealand is being used in Agartala.

Mr. Modi said that these projects will prove to be like incubation centres for our planners, engineers, architects and students where they will be able to experiment with the new technology. He added that the government has introduced the ASHA India project to promote research and innovation in the construction sector. He said, this will pave the way to develop new and inexpensive technology to build houses in the 21st century. The Prime Minister said, under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, lakhs of houses have been built in a very short span of time and construction of many more is still going on.

Mr. Modi said, the government has brought back people’s faith in reality projects by bringing in the RERA regulations. Mr. Modi also announced winners under Affordable Sustainable Housing Accelerators (ASHA)- India and gave out annual awards for excellence in implementation of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban (PMAY-U) Mission. He also released a certificate course on innovative construction technologies named NAVARITIH (New, Affordable, Validated, Research Innovation Technologies for Indian Housing) and a compendium of 54 innovative housing construction technologies identified through GHTC-India.

The Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri along with Chief Ministers of Tripura, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh were also present on the occasion.

Speaking on the occasion, Housing and Urban Affairs Minister said, Light House Projects will be constructed in Indore, Rajkot, Chennai, Ranchi, Agartala and Lucknow. These will serve as live laboratories for facilitating transfer of technology to field & replicate nearly 1000 houses at each location in a cost-effective, eco-friendly way and with a much faster speed.