With nearly 49 per cent of Tamil Nadu's population living in urban areas, and ever-increasing need for housing for families and commercial space, the state government is taking steps to meet the changing requirements, Chief Minister M K Stalin said here on Saturday.
The government is committed to providing speedy approvals for projects and is also planning to establish new satellite cities, he said.
Unveiling the Tamil Nadu Real Estate Vision 2030 at the real estate exhibition Fairpro 2023 being held under the aegis of the Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Associations of India (CREDAI), Chennai, the Chief Minister said: "I believe that there will be huge opportunities in the real estate sector due to the increasing population in Chennai, and coming up of new industries, and increasing demand for housing and offices for companies."
He urged CREDAI to take the major responsibility of building and providing houses and commercial spaces.
"The urban population in Tamil Nadu, which was 1.90 crore in 1991 increased to 3.49 crore in 2011. It is expected to increase further to 5.34 crore in 2031. As per the 2011 Census, the State has 832 cities and towns. Nearly 49 per cent of the population live in urban areas. Tamil Nadu is the leading state in the country in urbanisation," the Chief Minister said in an address to the gathering at the Chennai Trade Centre here.
Metropolises emerge due to rapid growth, especially increase in population and migration. Keeping this in mind, the State Housing and Urban Development Department, has formulated and implemented various housing projects, he said.
"The government is taking all steps to meet the changing needs and is committed to providing speedy approvals to projects. We are also planning to build new satellite cities besides develop outer ring roads," Stalin added.
Aiming for the overall development of the state, the government has been focusing on all sectors like education, agriculture, medical, small business, women development, and environment.
"At this juncture, I am obliged to remind you that it was Kalaignar (as late chief minister M Karunanidhi was called) who created the Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board (now TN Urban Habitat Development Board), to provide housing for slum dwellers for the first time in India 50 years ago," he said.
The government has established a single-window system for granting approvals for construction of buildings, he added.