Bhubaneswar, Oct 11 (IANS): Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday launched "ABAAS" to provide affordable houses along with basic amenities to slum dwellers and economically weaker section people living in urban areas.

ABAAS - Odisha Urban Housing Mission and Policy for Housing for All in Urban Areas - will serve to fulfil the promise of protection and welfare of slum dwellers by providing affordable housing along with basic amenities such as piped water supply, electricity, concrete roads, drainage and community centre, said Patnaik after launching the mission here.

The state government has already notified 'Policy for Housing for All in Urban Areas' for providing enabling framework for implementation of affordable housing projects, slum rehabilitation and re-development projects and to facilitate development of housing schemes in urban areas.

The government has also decided to provide land free of cost to construct houses for economically weaker sections, low income groups and slum dwellers to make the houses affordable to them, he added.

"To ensure time bound construction of large number of housing projects in various urban areas, a dedicated Mission Directorate for implementation of this policy will be set up by the government," Patnaik said.

The policy also outlines institutional mechanism for sustainable operation and maintenance of the housing projects to ensure proper maintenance of the housing project area.

"I believe that with the implementation of this policy in mission mode, we will be able to completely address the housing deficit in urban areas in a time bound manner and have an operational system, where housing supply matches the demand," the chief minister said.

Earlier at a function at Buddha Park in the capital city, the chief minister laid the foundation for housing projects for people of economically weaker sections and slum dwellers of Nakhara, Pandara, Ghatikia and Chandrasekharpur.