Shimla, Jan 4 (IANS) 

The Himachal Pradesh cabinet Saturday approved allotment of three biswas (24 acres) of land in rural areas and two biswas (16 acres) in urban areas to homeless people or families.

The allottment will be made out of the surplus land available in the districts under various schemes, a government spokesperson told IANS.

"The land available in the government pool will be allotted only by the deputy commissioners under the scheme," he said.

"All such families whose annual income is up to Rs.50,000 and who are houseless or those families whose entire land has been washed away in floods and have no suitable land for construction of residential house will be eligible for allotment of three 'biswas' of land in rural areas and two 'biswas' in urban areas even if these families are not included in the BPL (below poverty line) list," he added.

The cabinet meet was presided over by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh.