West Bengal Nijashree Housing Scheme

Scheme Introduction: A Brief Overview

The Government of West Bengal runs the Nijashree Housing Scheme to give a home of their own to families that earn too little to buy a flat in the open market. The Housing Department builds G+3 housing blocks on government land, land of local bodies, and land of other parastatals, and sells the flats to Lower Income Group (LIG) and Middle Income Group (MIG) families on an ownership basis. The department charges the buyer only for the cost of construction. It does not add the price of the land to the flat, and it treats that freehold land as a straight subsidy to the beneficiary, which is exactly why a Nijashree flat costs a fraction of a private flat of the same size.

The state set out a clear objective behind the scheme, namely to provide a basha, a home of one's own, to every family of the low and middle income categories, to meet their growing housing demand through affordable flats, and to put idle government land, local body land and parastatal land to use for public housing. This objective is shared with other state initiatives such as the Akanksha Housing Scheme and the Gitanjali Housing Scheme, which the West Bengal Government continues to operate for the benefit of eligible families.

The scheme offers two categories of flats. A family with a monthly income of ₹15,000 or less applies under the LIG category and gets a 1BHK flat of minimum 35.15 square metres (378 sq. ft.), which the Housing Department has priced at an average of ₹7.20 lakh. A family with a monthly income of ₹30,000 or less applies under the MIG category and gets a 2BHK flat of minimum 50.96 square metres (559 sq. ft.), priced at an average of ₹9.28 lakh. The buyer never pays for off-site infrastructure. Internal roads, boundary wall, outside electrification, drainage, campus lights and water supply stay outside the unit cost, so the advertised price of the flat covers the dwelling unit and its internal services only.

The buyer pays the amount in instalments spread across the construction period, not in one lump sum. The guideline lays down that the Housing Department notifies the site-wise payment schedule in the public advertisement of every project, so the exact number of instalments and the due dates come with the project notice and the allotment letter. Each instalment goes directly into the project-wise escrow account that the department opens for the construction of the 1BHK or 2BHK blocks of that site. The department also facilitates credit-linked subsidy and subvention benefits for eligible buyers, so a beneficiary can combine a housing loan with the Nijashree price.

The application stage costs very little. A 1BHK applicant pays ₹2,500 as application money, and a 2BHK applicant pays ₹5,000. The department adjusts this amount against the unit cost of the successful applicant, refunds it to unsuccessful applicants, and charges no processing fee at all. Construction starts only after the project records confirmed bookings for at least 80 per cent of the flats in the approved scheme or block. Families interested in a flat should therefore track the notice board of their District Magistrate or Sub-Divisional Officer, because the booking window opens with the project.

Scheme Benefits

The following benefits are provided under the Nijashree Housing Scheme:

• Ownership flat: the department allots the flat to the beneficiary on an ownership basis.
• 1BHK for LIG: minimum built-up area 35.15 sq. m (378 sq. ft.), average unit cost ₹7.20 lakh.
• 2BHK for MIG: minimum built-up area 50.96 sq. m (559 sq. ft.), average unit cost ₹9.28 lakh.
• Free land: the department takes no land cost into account while computing the unit cost.
• Free off-site infrastructure: internal roads, boundary wall, outside electrification, drainage, campus lights and water supply do not enter the cost of the housing development.
• Easy payment: instalments spread over the construction period, deposited in the escrow account of the scheme site.
• Loan support: the Housing Department facilitates credit-linked subsidy and subvention benefits under the various schemes of the government applicable to LIG and MIG.
• Low entry cost: application money of ₹2,500 or ₹5,000 only, adjusted with the unit cost, with no processing fee.

Flat Categories and Cost

The guideline treats ₹7.20 lakh and ₹9.28 lakh as estimated average unit costs, not as fixed statewide prices. The unit cost and the standard built-up area may vary with the location, the quantum of land available, the land development cost, and the schedule of rates applicable to the area at the time of construction. The advertisement of each project therefore carries the exact price of the flats at that site.

Eligibility Requirements

An applicant must satisfy every one of the following conditions:

• Income, LIG: the beneficiary should have a monthly family income of ₹15,000 or less.
• Income, MIG: the beneficiary should have a monthly family income of ₹30,000 or less.
• The beneficiary should not have any pucca house or flat in his or her name, or in the name of any family member, in the state. The guideline defines family as the spouse and unmarried sons or daughters.
• The beneficiary should be an inhabitant of the same district in which the scheme site is located.

Who cannot apply

• A family that owns a pucca house or flat in the state (in the applicant's name or in the name of the spouse or an unmarried child) stands outside the scheme.
• A person who does not live in the district where the scheme site is located cannot apply for that site.
• A family whose monthly income crosses ₹30,000 falls outside both categories.

Required Documents

The official guideline names only the income certificate.

• Original income certificate issued by the SDO, BDO, or the employer (or any other competent authority).
• Passport-size photo
• Original Affidavit/ Declaration
• Copy of Aadhaar Card
• Copy of PAN Card
• Copy of Ration Card
• Bank Account Details
• Any other documents required will be as per the specific project advertisement and application form.

Selection of Beneficiary

The official guideline lays down the following process:

• The District Level Implementation Committee (notified by the Housing Department) screens the applications after they are received online.
• The concerned District Magistrate organises the lottery and the verification of applications and documents.

How Applications Are Invited

• The Housing Department, or an implementing agency authorised by it, invites applications category-wise and site-wise.
• Wide publicity is given through state-level newspapers, district-level newspapers and the website.
• Sample application forms are available for download from the department's website and from the websites of the District Magistrates.
• Applications are received online on the web address notified in the scheme advertisement for that location or site.
• Facilitation for online filing is arranged through the local offices of the District Magistrate, SDO, BDO and Urban Local Bodies.

The Lottery Rule

• If the applicants outnumber the flats, the allottees are selected through a transparent lottery held in the respective district or sub-division.
• If the applicants are fewer than the flats, a lottery is still held to allot a particular flat to a particular applicant.
• Under the West Bengal Nijashree Housing Scheme, a lottery therefore takes place in every project.

Steps to Apply

• Watch for the advertisement in state and district newspapers and on the official website of the Housing Department.
• Download the sample application form from the Housing Department website or the website of the concerned District Magistrate.
• Arrange the income certificate from the local SDO, BDO, or your employer.
• Apply online on the web address notified in the scheme advertisement under the correct category (LIG or MIG).
• Take help at the local office of the District Magistrate, SDO, BDO, or Urban Local Body if needed for online submission.
• Pay the application money at the time of application:
  • ₹2,500 for a 1BHK flat
  • ₹5,000 for a 2BHK flat
• Wait for screening of applications by the District Level Implementation Committee and verification by the District Magistrate.
• Attend the lottery organised by the District Magistrate in the respective district or sub-division.
• After selection, pay the instalments into the escrow account of that scheme site as per the payment schedule notified in the advertisement.
• Unsuccessful applicants will get their application money refunded.

Payment Schedule

The guideline does not prescribe one common instalment pattern for the whole state. The site-wise payment schedule is notified in the public advertisement of each project. Two conditions remain common:

• All instalments are deposited directly into the escrow account opened by the Housing Department for that scheme.
• Construction starts only after booking of at least 80 per cent of the total flats in the approved block.

Implementation and Monitoring

• The Housing Department acts as the Nodal Department.
• The District Magistrate acts as the Nodal Officer in the district.
• The District Magistrate identifies suitable land after considering availability of water, road communication, power, market facilities, and other amenities.
• The Housing Directorate invites applications and starts construction after 80 per cent booking.
• Implementing agencies execute the work through turnkey or EPC contracts under quality control oversight.

Relevant Links

• Nijashree Housing Scheme, Housing Department, Government of West Bengal
• Guidelines of West Bengal Nijashree Housing Scheme
• West Bengal Housing Department Portal

Contact Information

• West Bengal Housing Department Helpline Number: 033-22624839
• West Bengal Housing Department Helpdesk Email: [email protected]