Himalayan Times (1955)

February 6, 1955

PROBLEM OF HOUSING

(Continued front page ij)
houses with the resources
readily available to him
and within his means. In
this respect the Commit--
nity Development Projects
offer the most suitable
avenue for the demonstra-
tion of improved techni.
ques and designs. The
villagers, through a Go-
vernment sponsored Rural
. HousingCell, which designs
suitable houses for diffe-
rent rural areas of the
country, learn to use local
material in building cheap
houses with adequate ven-
tilation; sanitary latrines,
r manure pits and other
amenities of decent living.
The tell consists of a
planner.cum-architect, an
assistant engineer and a
senior architectual drafts-
man. The plan drawn
up by this Unit will be
pissed on to the parti-
cular ureai for which they
are intended, through
Community Projects Ad-
ministration. The oth^r
method of improving rural
housing is to provide
aided self help to the
villagers by way of tech-
nical assistance, equipment
and skilled supervision.
The pot-tiled vaulted roof-
ing in Hyderabad State,
the stabilized ' soil cons-
truction in the Punjab
and use of rammed earth
as building 'immaterial in
Madras City, areth/> re-
sult of some of- the ex-

periments in cheap housing.

Coordinating Research

These experiments
offe r considerable scope
for further research. So
far there was no recogni-
sed authority to cooidi-
nate the result of research
and disseminate the infor-
mation recoived to Govern-
ment depat tments, private
builders and individuals
engaged in building acti-
vity. It is for this pur-
pose that the National
Buildings Organization has
been recently set up by
the Government of India.
Besides sponsoring research
programmes to be eon-
ducted hy scientific bodies
and institutions, it will
organize exhibitions and
demonstration projects so
that modern methods and
designs for building cheap
houses mav receive ade-'
quale publicity.

The Government of
India has set up an Ex-
perimental Construction
Unit which will subject
the available research
material on building tech-
niques to field tests The
chief aim of the Unit
will be to find nut to
what extent cheaper cons-
truction can be introduced
profitably.

— The number of
tractors imported into
India during 1953 54 was
3,195 valued at over Ra.
2.54 crores.

WANTED

Applications are invited
for the post of firemen
from the local people of
Jalpaguri and Siliguri.
Pay scale Re. 40-2-60-
1-70/- plus admissible al-
lowances. Applicants must
fulfil the following condi-
tions :—(a) Height — Not
less than 5'-2J" (b) Chest-
(i) Uninflated — Not less
than 32'', and (ii) Inrlated-
Not less than 34':. (c)
Educational qualification-
Must have read upto
Class VIII standard rf a
schcol affiliated to Cal-
cutta University or any
equivalent stanclaid of any
other recognised (dura-
tional institution (d) Must
be a citizen of lnd un
Union, and (e) Must be
between 18 and 25 years
of age. Applications must
reach, the Director West
Bengal Fire Service, 13 D,
Free School S'reet, Cal-
cutta by Februaiy lii,
1955.

Wanted a part-time
clerk ' for the Kalim-
pong Local Boaid Office
on a consolidated salary
of Rs. 30/- per month.
Preference will be given to
persons having clerical
experiences. Applications
should reach the under-
signed on or before 12-1-55.
G. S. Prosad
for Chairman,
Kalimpong Local Board
Office, Kalimpong.