COVER STORY - The Real smart moves

Jul 04 2015 : The Times of India (Pune)

|KANCHAN GOGATE





With the Union government unveiling major schemes for urban and infrastructural development, the realty is set to see a revival, opine experts. Pune needs an extra push to enhance its livability quotient

To make the country a better place and making seemingly unreachable housing sector accessible for all, the Union government has launched three ambitious schemes, the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) for 500 cities and towns, the Smart Cities scheme and the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, which aims at building two crore affordable houses.The total investment in these three schemes would be Rs 4,00,000 crore spread over seven to eight years and experts say these programmes have the potential to raise the standard of living in cities and towns and trigger demand in construction and allied sectors.The names of the Smart Cities will be decided based on a competition to be held at the state and central levels. In the current financial, 20 cities to be selected which would be developed as Smart Cities.According to experts, the schemes have potential to create smart urban spaces and enhance the standard of living in cities.They opine that the realty is set to witness a revival with systematic implementation of schemes.
There will be some clear action on the ground and the process of change across the nation has begun, says Shubhranshu Pani, managing director, infrastructure services, JLL India. “The Smart City project seeks to enhance quality of life for a large cross-section on urban India in 100 selected cities with 24-hour water and power supply, world-class transportation systems and top-grade education and recreational facilities, all set to the backdrop of high-level e-governance and environmental sustainability. The Smart City project will be based on public-private-partnership (PPP) model. Nevertheless, the government still needs to provide further clarity financing is still a grey area, and the policylevel changes required for the banking and finance industries need to be amplified upon.“
Pani says these moves should make life better, however, challenges should also be taken into consideration. “Multi-fold channels need to be opened for making housing scheme a success. Public sector funding will play a major role whereas private sector also might help in tackling the problem of land acquisition,“ he adds.
Private sector can also help in this bid, asserts Sanjay Sanjay Dutt, executive managing director, South Asia, Cushman & Wakefield.“The government's proposal to provide an interest subsidy and assistance to enforce 'Housing for All' scheme would go a long way in addressing the issue of affordability in India. A major part of the task lies in the government's ability to acquire land. The government needs to look for innovative ways to finance these schemes, while involving all stakeholders to implement them in a timely manner,'' Dutt says.
Hoping to get a spot in the smart city mission, both civic bodies, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Pimpri Chichwad (PCMC) have girded up their loins.The PMC has initiated online services to address road complaints and also enabled online payment of property tax. Pune is the first municipal corporation in the state to develop a model for online approval of building permissions. The PMC has started a facebook page and a newsletter.
Realtors have also welcomed the move. Urban infrastructure is a comprehensive concept, says Kishor Pate, CMD Amit Enterprises Housing Ltd. “It includes various services and facilities like roads, water and electricity supply, waste disposal, healthcare and education services and communications. The current government's focus is on making India a country which is smart on urbanisation, capable of providing housing to its masses and eager to overcome the challenges that have been building up over the past few decades,“ Pate says.
Anil Pharande, chairman, Pharande Spaces, says, “The question of homelessness haunts Pune along with the rest of India. Housing for All scheme, if implemented in an intelligent and proactive manner, can finally provide a solution to this problem.“
However, the Prime Minister has also spoken about realtors' image and need for bettering their rapport with buyers. The whole system works as a unit for housing, asserts Rohit Gera, managing director, Gera Spaces and vice-president, CREDAI. “We cannot single out realtors, as political system and administration also play a crucial role in housing sector. The whole system needs an overhaul.However, Pune has always had a good equation with its buyer. It's highly advisable for buyers to go with a reputed builder for a smooth deal,“ Gera concludes.