The offer was made by visiting Canadian Minister of International Trade Ed Fast during his meeting with Urban Development and Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Minister Venkaiah Naidu in New Delhi
Canada has expressed interest in participating in India’s ambitious programmes of ‘Housing for All’ and building 100 ‘smart cities’ and offered its technology in this regard, as reported by PTI.
The offer was made by visiting Canadian Minister of International Trade Ed Fast during his meeting with Urban Development and Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Minister Venkaiah Naidu in New Delhi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has highlighted his government’s intent to have housing for all by 2022.
In pursuance of this, a Sardar Patel Urban Housing Mission will be launched soon to construct houses through public-private partnership, interest subsidy and increased flow of resources to the housing sector.
The housing shortage in India is estimated at 19 million units. Out of this, about 95.6 per cent is estimated to be from economically weaker sections and low-income group households.
“The Canadian Minister also made inquiries about other new initiatives in the urban sector, including building of 100 Smart Cities and infrastructure development in urban areas of the country,” a senior Urban Development Ministry official told PTI.
He sought to know the clear timelines for execution of these schemes and specific areas requiring technologies and investments, the official added.
Ed Fast said his country is keen to partner India in an appropriate manner in building smart cities.
Offering technology for waste water recycling, Ed Fast said that three of Canada’s cities – Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary – figure among the top 10 smart cities of the world.
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