Shimla, Oct. 27 -- Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday said the state government would soon launch a housing assistance scheme offering financial aid of Rs.3 lakh to eligible families belonging to the Valmiki community to help them construct their houses. Addressing a gathering of the community at Krishna Nagar in Shimla on the occasion of Valmiki Jayanti, Sukhu said the state government had initiated work on the scheme and would launch it soon.

The aim is to ensure that every family is able to afford a dignified life, better education and opportunities to become self-reliant. The annual income of the beneficiary family must be less than Rs.2.5 lakh per annum and the family should not own a pucca house.

He said a survey of h...