Lahore: The Punjab government has decided to expand the Apni Chhat Apna Ghar programme by extending interest-free loans for the repair, rehabilitation and expansion of dilapidated houses to facilitate deserving low-income families.
The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Punjab Minister for Housing and Urban Development Bilal Yasin to review the expansion of the programme, here on Saturday. President of the Bank of Punjab (BoP) Zafar Masud, Housing Secretary Noor-ul-Amin Mengal and Director General PHATA Sikandar Zeeshan briefed the meeting on the proposed framework.
Minister Bilal Yasin said interest-free loans ranging from Rs500,000 to Rs1 million would be provided through an e-portal under a transparent and low-cost mechanism for the construction of new portions, house repairs and roof construction. He said the expanded programme would enable beneficiaries not only to build new homes but also to renovate unsafe and dilapidated houses.
The minister said around 170,000 families had so far received interest-free loans under the Apni Chhat Apna Ghar scheme. He expressed the government’s commitment to extending similar financial assistance to another 100,000 families during the next financial year to help them construct their own houses.
He said the expanded programme would primarily benefit low-income, homeless and families living in mud or structurally weak houses, with the objective of providing every deserving household with safe, dignified and improved housing.
Bilal Yasin said equal emphasis would be placed on facilitating deserving people in both urban and rural areas. He added that the initiative would stimulate construction activity, generate employment opportunities and promote economic growth.
The minister directed the relevant departments to ensure the programme’s swift, effective and transparent implementation, saying it would contribute to improving the living standards of vulnerable segments of society and further strengthen social protection across the province.