41,700 rental homes ready for EWS, LIG under PMAY-U scheme: Govt tells Rajya Sabha
Minister of state for housing and urban affairs said in response to a question from Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) lawmaker Parthasaradhi Reddy in the Rajya Sabha
NEW DELHI: A total of 41,703 rental houses are ready for economically weaker section (EWS) and lower-income group (LIG) beneficiaries under the affordable rental housing complexes (ARHCs) scheme, part of the Union government’s flagship Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Urban (PMAY-U), the government told the Rabha Sabha on Monday.
Responding to a question by Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) lawmaker Parthasaradhi Reddy, minister of state for housing and urban affairs Tokanu Sahu said a majority of these houses, including 35,425 built under this scheme since 2020, are located in Tamil Nadu, across Chennai, Hosur, and Sriperumbudur.
The remaining 5,648 houses are spread across eight states and union territories, including Chandigarh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir, and Uttarakhand. These houses were repurposed from unoccupied existing government housing projects under previous schemes like the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) and Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY).
The largest number of repurposed houses are in Chandigarh (2,195), followed by Ahmedabad (1,376), Rajkot (698), Chittorgarh (480), and Jammu (336). Lalkuan and Dehradun have 100 and 70, respectively.
Regarding the sanctioned and under-construction rental houses, Sahu said Nizampet in Telangana has the highest number, with 14,490 units, followed by Chennai with 6,085 units. Other locations with under-construction units include Raipur in Chhattisgarh and Kampur Town in Assam, with 2,222 units each. Prayagraj, Kakinada, and Surat also have ongoing construction, with 1,112, 736, and 453 units, respectively.
The ARHC sub-scheme under PMAY was introduced in 2020 as an addition to the existing scheme, in response to the large-scale reverse migration caused by the pandemic. It was also extended in PMAY 2.0.
Also Read: Centre has received 28 proposals from 23 states to develop new cities, LS informed
Under the guidelines, public and private entities can construct, operate, and maintain ARHC projects containing single/double bedroom units or dormitory beds to provide accommodation for working women, industrial workers, urban migrants, homeless individuals, students, and other eligible beneficiaries.
The scheme applies to all statutory towns and areas under the jurisdiction of industrial development authorities, special area development authorities, urban development authorities, and planning authorities in all states and Union Territories participating in PMAY-U 2.0.