New Delhi, Nov 11 (IANS): A new bill to improve the living conditions of slum swellers is likely to be intorduced in the winter session of parliament later this month, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Minister Selja said Friday.

Speaking to reporters here Friday, she said the government also proposed to strengthen slum redevelopment strategy by working towards a slum free India by assigning property rights to urban slum dwellers under the Rajiv Awas Yojna.

Apart from the Property Rights to Slum Dweller Act, the government would also come up with the Real Estate (Regulations and Development) Bill to establish an oversight mechanism to ensure fair practices and accountability, she said.

"The bill aims at restoring confidence of general public in the real estate sector by instituting transparency and accountability in real estate and housing transactions," Selja said.

The minister said the real estate and housing sector in India is that currently largely unregulated and opaque, with consumers often unable to procure complete information or enforce accountability against builders and developers in the absence of effective regulation.

The draft bill has been put in public domain for comments.

The winter session of parliament begins Nov 22 and ends Dec 21.