According to sources, the land rate in the sector is nearly Rs 8-10 crore per acre and by that estimate, the cost of the land alone would be approximately Rs 100 crore
GURUGRAM: MCG has kicked off a cooperative housing project for its staff and councillors following demands from Mayor Madhu Azad and other elected representatives in the civic body.
According to officials, the team tasked with the planning of the project has already identified land in Sector 109. “We have identified around 10 acres for the housing project in Sector 109. The land belongs to the corporation and hence, expenditure on the same will be saved,” said Mohan Singh, district town planner, MCG.
He added that the project was currently in the initial stages and its cost would be decided by the engineering wing. However, according to sources, the land rate in the sector is nearly Rs 8-10 crore per acre and by that estimate, the cost of the land alone would be approximately Rs 100 crore. This plus the cost of construction would come to a sizeable amount.
Houses will be built for 35 councillors and other officials occupying sanctioned posts within MCG. Councillors have been demanding government residence for quite some time now.
At the MCG House meeting in May, they reiterated their demand.
TOI had earlier reported that the mayor also does not have an official residence in the city as there are very few government accommodations in the city.
Azad had then told TOI, “According to the Haryana Municipal Corporation Act, the mayor is entitled to an official residence or an honorarium but no one is paying heed to it.”
However, sources within the department said that building houses for its staff so far away from the city was not a very good idea.
“Most of the councillors already own a house in the city and even if they do not, they are required to be in their wards to work with residents. The same applies to officials. In such circumstances, these houses might just end up being a means of rental income for them,” said an official, requesting anonymity.
