The Delhi Development Authority has proposed to build 65,000 houses for people from across varied income groups over the next four years.

The proposal for this scheme was submitted to the Ministry of Urban Development about a month back, according to a senior DDA official.

The plan was part of Urban Development minister Jaipal Reddy’s 100-day agenda, announced in June.

Often pulled up for delay in meeting deadlines, DDA plans to use new technology to ensure construction of these 65,000 houses. “Nearly 50,000 of these houses will be constructed with prefabricated technology, which is a faster mode of construction,” the DDA official told Newsline. “The other 15,000 will be built with conventional technology.”

Prefabricated houses are manufactured in standard sizes but off the site; they are then transported to the location and assembled. The advantage lies in that they can be put up much faster than standard, on-location construction.

The official said 40,000 of these 65,000 houses will cater to the urban poor and the lower-middle classes. “Tender documents for construction of these prefabricated houses have been prepared,” the official said, “and 10,000 are phased to be completed every year from next year.”

DDA’s budget estimates peg the cost of each 25-square metre house for people in the economically weaker sections at Rs 4 lakh (see box for detailed break-up).

Nearly 10,000 houses will cater to the middle-income group, the official said. “These will also be prefabricated and are slated for completion over the next four years.” These will be either 42 square metres or 65 to 70 square metres in area and will cost anywhere between Rs 11 lakh and Rs 30 lakh, depending on size and location, according to the official.

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