Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has approved the launch of the “Apna Ghar, Mehfooz Ghar” (My Home, Safe Home) programme under the existing “Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar” initiative to improve housing safety across the province and prevent tragedies caused by unsafe residential structures. The decision was made during a special meeting chaired by the chief minister, which also approved expanding the scope of the government’s flagship housing programme by introducing two new loan categories.
New Loan Categories for Home Repairs and Expansion
Under the proposed initiative, interest-free loans of Rs500,000 will be provided for repairing weak roofs and structurally unsafe houses, while interest-free loans of Rs1 million will be offered in easy installments for constructing an additional storey or floor. The meeting formally endorsed both loan categories, aiming to address housing safety and overcrowding issues.
The chief minister directed that the process for obtaining housing loans be further simplified and ordered that 2,000 families who had received free government plots under the “Apni Zameen, Apna Ghar” programme should also be facilitated with loans for house construction. She emphasized that the Punjab government would support families in making unsafe, weak-roofed and dilapidated homes secure, stating that “Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar” and its allied initiatives are flagship welfare projects of the provincial government.
Progress Review of Existing Housing Programmes
The meeting reviewed progress on the “Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar” and “Apni Zameen, Apna Ghar” programmes. It was informed that interest-free loans had been approved for more than 180,000 homeless families, with loans already disbursed to 170,000 beneficiaries. The government has so far released Rs217.8 billion for the programme, while nearly 27,500 houses are in the final stages of completion. The briefing further revealed that 134,343 houses had been completed across Punjab under the programme and more than 1.278 million applications had been received from homeless families seeking assistance.
Officials also reported that 2,000 residential plots had been distributed in 23 districts under the “Apni Zameen, Apna Ghar” programme. A report on rehabilitation and development work in these areas was also presented during the meeting.
Chief Minister’s Directives on Loan Disbursement and Eligibility
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz directed the authorities to release the second instalment of housing loans within the next three days, saying that effective governance is demonstrated through practical action rather than statements during difficult times. She also instructed that no additional financial burden should be imposed on low-income families and that there should be no changes to the existing eligibility criteria or procedures for obtaining housing loans.
The expansion of the housing initiative underscores the provincial government’s commitment to providing safe and secure housing for all citizens, particularly those from low-income backgrounds. The new loan categories are expected to benefit thousands of families across Punjab, enabling them to repair unsafe structures and add living space to their homes.
