The Union government should not consider housing units built under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) as “completed”, when basic amenities such as accessible roads, sewerage, water and electricity connections are not provided, the Standing Committee on Housing and Urban Affairs said in a report presented in the Lok Sabha on Friday.
Launched in 2015, PMAY(U) is one of the Centre’s flagship schemes that aims to alleviate poverty, and sought to provide housing for all by 2022. Amid pending projects, the deadline for the scheme was later extended to December 2024.
To ensure that “no one” in need of a house is left behind, the house panel, headed by Rajiv Ranjan Singh, JD(U) MP from Munger, asked the Union government to conduct a study on the social impact of PMAY(U).
“Since the basic objective of PMAY(U) is to provide housing for all, it becomes inevitable to undertake an impact assessment study to gauge the gap in housing needs in urban areas,” the panel said in its report.
The committee also said that beneficiaries still have to pay for around 60% of the total cost, after taking into account the state and local body grants. “And since many of these beneficiaries do not have fixed income proof, they do not get funds from banks,” the report said.
On this, the government said the central funding of ₹1.5 lakh will not be increased till December 2024. “The central assistance should vary depending upon the cost of construction, which in turn depends upon the topography and other factors,” the panel said.
{{/usCountry}}On this, the government said the central funding of ₹1.5 lakh will not be increased till December 2024. “The central assistance should vary depending upon the cost of construction, which in turn depends upon the topography and other factors,” the panel said.
{{/usCountry}}HT reached out to the housing and urban affairs ministry for a comment but didn’t get one.