Summary Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz approved the ‘Apna Ghar, Mehfooz Ghar’ initiative, announced interest-free loans for home renovation and construction, and ordered easier loan procedures.
LAHORE (Dunya News) – Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has declared the "Apni Chhat Apna Ghar" programme and all its allied initiatives as the Punjab government's flagship projects, warning that no negligence in their implementation will be tolerated.
Chairing a meeting on the 'Apni Chhat Apna Ghar' and 'Apni Zameen Apna Ghar' programmes, the chief minister gave final approval to launch the "Apna Ghar, Mehfooz Ghar" initiative aimed at preventing tragedies similar to the Kahna incident.
She directed the authorities to introduce a new category under the 'Apni Chhat Apna Ghar' programme within three days and instructed that the procedure for obtaining easy home construction loans be further simplified.
Under the "Apna Ghar, Mehfooz Ghar" programme, homeowners with dilapidated houses and weak roofs will receive up to Rs500,000 for renovation and safety improvements. In addition, interest-free loans of up to Rs1 million, repayable in easy instalments, will be provided for constructing an additional storey or floor.
During the meeting, a special documentary presented a report on the success of the Punjab Pakistan Pavilion in Baku. Officials informed the meeting that more than 180,000 homeless families had been approved for interest-free loans under the "Apni Chhat Apna Ghar" programme, while loans had already been disbursed to over 170,000 families. A total of Rs217.8 billion has been released for the project.
Punjab speaker praises Maryam Nawaz's 'Apna Khet, Apna Rozgar' initiative
The briefing further stated that 134,343 houses have been completed across Punjab under the programme, while around 27,500 houses are in the final stages of construction. More than 1.278 million homeless families have also submitted applications for housing under the scheme.
Officials reiterated that under the 'Apna Ghar, Mehfooz Ghar' initiative, financial assistance of up to Rs500,000 will be provided for repairing unsafe houses and strengthening weak roofs, while interest-free loans of up to Rs1 million will be available in easy instalments for constructing an additional floor.
The meeting was also informed that 2,000 plots have been distributed in 23 districts under the "Apni Zameen Apna Ghar" programme, and a report on rehabilitation and development work in these areas was presented.
Maryam Nawaz said good governance is reflected through practical measures rather than statements during times of crisis. She announced that the 2,000 homeless families who had received free plots from the government would also be provided loans to construct their homes.
The chief minister directed authorities to make home construction loans even easier to obtain and said the Punjab government would support families living in dilapidated houses or homes with weak roofs by helping make them safer and more secure.
She reiterated that the 'Apni Chhat Apna Ghar' programme and all related initiatives are the Punjab government's flagship projects, warning that negligence would not be tolerated. She also instructed that no additional burden should be placed on the poor and that there should be no changes to the eligibility criteria for obtaining loans.
