Post-Independence Institutional Efforts in Planned Housing Development in Amritsar (Punjab, India)

Abstract

After food and clothing, housing is the third basic requirement of mankind. The first effort towards institutional housing in India was made through British with establishment of Municipalities and Improvement Trusts. After independence in the year 1947, housing became the responsibility of the government and received third major allocation in the First Five Year Plan by the Central Government of India. The National Housing and Habitat Policy, 1998 emphasized on changing role of government from direct provider to enabler and the private sector is formally invited to participate in housing development. Amritsar is second metropolitan city of Punjab having population of 11.33 lakhs as per 2011 census. The city is facing fast urbanization growth that lead to increased housing demand. The city has different institutions that are working for the provision of housing including Municipal Corporation, Housing Board, Improvement Trust, Departmental Housing and Formal Private Sector Housing but still there exists the housing shortage of 21,504 with inclusion of non-durable structures. The paper aims at working out the contribution made by different institutions towards planned housing development in Amritsar out of total residential development. This paper examines the relationship between total residential development and institutional residential development in Amritsar.