IMPHAL, NOVEMBER 15: Four Manipur towns, namely, Jiribam in Imphal East district, Lamshang in Imphal West district Kakching, and Sugunu in Thoubal district, have been selected for the first phase of the central government scheme ‘housing for all’ by 2022.

This was informed by Secretary Nepram Geetkumar, of the Manipur Urban Development Agency (MUDA). The formalities for said towns have been submitted to the Union Urban Development Ministry for further steps, he said.

The forms for the remaining three or four more towns in the state will also be submitted by November 21 this year.

The MUDA official was speaking to the media on the sideline of an award distribution function of an essay competition. The competition was conducted with the theme ‘Housing for all by 2022’ organized by the All Manipur Working Journalists’ Union here.

The step was taken to publicise the central scheme to the public, Geetkumar said.

Besides organizing two call centres and engaging 27 urban local bodies for publicity work related to the scheme, regular ‘awareness programmes’ and ‘seminar’ were also organized.

Mangalleibi Irom of Waikhom Mani Girls College in Thoubal, Selina Konsam of Comet school and Karnajit Khundrakpam of Churachand Higher secondary school, both in Imphal, took home cash prizes of Rs 10,000, Rs 7000, and Rs 5000 for securing the first, the second and the third position, in that order, in the competition.

The BJP government at the centre launched the ‘Housing for all by 2022’ mission in June last year and approved a substantial increase in loan for the urban poor to promote affordable homes.