Agra, Oct 4 (IANS): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav today said his government was committed to providing affordable and convenient housing to the poor and middle-income groups because owning a home paves the way for development.

It is also a basic right of the people to have a roof over their heads, he added.

The chief minister was inaugurating a two-day conference of builders and colonisers at the Jaypee hotel today.

Yadav counselled the builders to ensure quality construction and follow the moral code. He said the state government had chalked out a housing policy for urban dwellers.

The chief minister said UP would emerge as a huge market in coming years. The state government was therefore trying to connect all district headquarters with four-lane highways which will also facilitate movement of goods and farm produce to mandis.

To prevent accidents on the highways, patrolling on the main routes will be intensified. Work on the Agra Inner ring road and the Lucknow Agra Expressway will soon start, he said.

The interests of the farmers are being looked after and four big mandis are being planned on the Agra-Lucknow Expressway, he added.