Statement by India
The 37th Session of the Human Rights Council (26th February to 23 March, 2018) on Agenda Item 3: Clustered Interactive Dialogue with IE on foreign debt and SR on adequate housing delivered by Sh. Animesh Choudhury, Second Secretary. [01st of March 2018, Geneva]
Madam Vice-President,
We thank the Special Rapporteur on adequate housing and the Independent Expert on foreign debt for their presentations. We appreciate the SR on housing for outlining key principles for shaping the base for effective right-based housing strategies.
2. The rights to housing have found recognition through favourable judicial interpretations of the Indian Constitution particularly, in various judgments of the Supreme Court of India. We appreciate the SR for highlighting the order of the Supreme Court of India where it found a violation of the right to life and ordered the construction of shelters for homeless persons after reviewing evidence of the effect of cold weather on their health.
3. Provision of housing, especially for the underprivileged sections of the society, is one of the core priority areas for India. Prime Minister of India launched a flagship project 'Housing for all by 2022' in June 2015. This project envisages construction of 20 million new houses by 2022. To facilitate its implementation, India has initiated major demand and supply side interventions, promoting availability of cheaper funds through simplifying foreign investments through automatic route, and allowing External Commercial Borrowing (ECB) for affordable housing and slum improvement projects.
4. India enacted the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 to bring accountability and transparency in the sector, including protection of consumer interest and establishment of adjudicating mechanism for speedy dispute redressal. We appreciate the SR for highlighting this act.
5. We have noted the checklist recommended by the SR for revision or development of housing strategies necessary to meet the commitments contained in the New Urban Agenda and the 2030 Agenda. India would work further in order to fulfil our goal of providing affordable housing to its people.
Thank you Madam Vice-President.
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