RAWALPINDI: At least 223 people out of almost 6,000 applicants in Rawalpindi became eligible for a housing finance scheme recently launched by the Punjab government under the name of ‘Apni Chhat Apna Ghar’. Deputy Commissioner Dr Hasan Waqar Cheema told Dawn on Saturday that 5,978 people had submitted applications in Rawalpindi and out of them, 223 people emerged successful after balloting, with the second round for the next set of applicants set to be held on October 5. The official said a desk had been established in the DC office and assistant commissioners’ offices for the monitoring of the scheme and instantly resolve the problems faced by applicants. He said the Punjab government had launched the project to facilitate the people who had no means to construct their houses. “More than 200,000 people from across the province applied for the loan for the construction of their houses. After the balloting, 6,500 people became successful and out of them 223 belonged to the Rawalpindi district,” said Punjab Housing and Town Planning Agency Saif Anwar Jappa while talking to Dawn. 6,500 successful applicants across province; next round of balloting on Oct 5 He said that Rs1.5 million would be provided to a successful applicant within 10 days of the applicant’s verification. The verification will ascertain whether the applicant has a five-marla plot in an urban area or a 10-marla plot in a rural area besides confirming their income status. Mr Jappa said that the agency had completed the arrangements for loans from micro-finance institutions and the amount would be handed over to the applicant before the next balloting on October 5. For monitoring, he said, a comprehensive plan had been chalked out and all the details of the applicant would be uploaded to an official portal and the monitoring teams would check whether the loan was being used for construction purposes. He said the people could submit their applications online, adding that they could also visit the offices of the respective assistant commissioners or the Punjab Housing and Town Planning Agency for the process. He said that there were no charges for the application. “People with a five-marla plot in urban areas, or those with a 10-marla in rural areas can also apply for the loan,” he said, adding that any family with an income less than Rs60,000 could also apply. Mr Jappa said that the basic aim of the loan scheme was to resolve the problems of low-income families that had no means to construct their houses. These people will be supposed to pay back the government in soft instalments in a period of seven years. He said that the maps of the houses would be designed with the collaboration of the Punjab government and the Pakistan Council for Architect and Town Planning. They will also provide basic amenities like water, electricity and sanitation, he added.