``The agenda of providing housing for all can be fulfilled if State governments take the initiative to adopt practical policies'', he said. ``The repeal of the ULCRA has allowed the Centre to identify 2.1 lakh acres of frozen land that can be used to construct houses. This will also reduce the slums in various States''.

Jethmalani said the country was already short of 33 million housing units. ``But though there is an ample Central budget for rural housing, there is very little allocated for urban housing. So there's no option but to seek the cooperation of private parties''.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister of State for Urban Development Kaushik Patel announced, ``The Vajpayee Nagar Yojana announced by the State government last month will be translated into reality with financial aid from the HUDCO at very low interest.

``It is the State's priority to provide housing for one and all; the decision on implementing it will be taken in the forthcoming Assembly session''.

Patel, however, warned that the implementation would be impeded by the fact that several Nagarpalikas and Mahanagarpalikas' income through octroi and property taxes was not up to the mark. Jethmalani, moreover, said that the Centre aimed to be ``the facilitator, rather than the provider'' in the implementation of these policies.

``If State government abolish the ULCRA, it will allow them to clear slums from the suburban areas of the cities'', the Union minister said. ``Moreover, a fillip to the the housing industry will also promote 289 related industries''.

Jethmalani urged the State governments to emulate South Asian countries, which had pulled out of recession by concentrating on housing.