Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre on Wednesday inaugurated a Married Accommodation Project (MAP) at Meerut Military Station, an official said.The Minister dedicated 623 dwelling units to officers, junior commissioned officers and other ranks of the Indian Army, an official statement here said.Speaking on the occasion, Bhamre said: "The government is committed to the welfare of soldiers and will do everything to alleviate their hardships. Non-availability and poor standards of married accommodation for soldiers has been a cause of concern and steps have been taken by the government to address this deficiency."The Married Accommodation Project (MAP) was announced by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2001, wherein around two lakh dwelling units are being constructed for the army, navy and air force in three phases, the statement added.
So far, 90,000 houses have been constructed in two phases and by the end of 2017, this figure is expected to increase to 1.25 lakh houses. In the third phase of the project, the government plans to construct additional 71,000 accommodations. The work for the third phase will commence soon.The MAP housing is being constructed by Director General for MAP which was raised in 2002-03 and functions under supervision of local military commanders. In last financial year, DG MAP had a turnover of Rs 2,700 crore.MAP follows green building norms like rain water harvesting, sewage treatment plant and solar water heating system.