Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif officially launched the provincial government’s Apna Chhat Apna Ghar housing scheme on Wednesday, providing a significant relief initiative aimed at helping residents of Punjab secure affordable housing.
This launch comes shortly after her government announced a contentious electricity subsidy, which has caused discontent among coalition allies.
During a ceremony in Lahore, CM Maryam detailed the scheme, which offers interest-free loans of up to Rs1.5 million to owners of small plots of land—specifically, 1-5 marlas in urban areas and 1-10 marlas in rural regions. The loans are designed to assist these landowners in building their own homes.
“For the first three months, landowners will not have to pay a single paisa,” Maryam Nawaz said, emphasizing the importance of homeownership. “There’s no place like home. Those who have their own home, their own roof, they don’t understand what it is like to be homeless.”
The scheme allows beneficiaries to repay the loan over a period of seven years, with a maximum monthly installment of Rs14,000. “I have kept the installments at Rs14,000 because people need to establish a monthly budget, pay children’s fees, utility bills, and buy food and medicine,” the chief minister explained.
The housing scheme is part of the broader efforts by the Punjab government to provide relief to its citizens. CM Maryam also referred to the recent electricity bill reduction for consumers using between 200 and 500 units per month, reiterating her administration’s commitment to easing the financial burdens on the people of Punjab.
Maryam Nawaz emphasized that the scheme is transparent, with no hidden charges, and purposely avoided involving banks to prevent additional costs. Interested applicants can apply online through the PITB portal or by calling the dedicated number 080009100 for more information from local district offices.
The chief minister also outlined the design of the houses under the scheme, each featuring two bedrooms, a TV lounge, a bathroom, and a kitchen. “Even the poor have self-respect; we need to get this right because you only build a house once,” she said.
Maryam Nawaz concluded by expressing her commitment to expanding the scheme across Punjab over the next five years, ensuring that more people can benefit from affordable housing.
