On parliamentary panel’s report, govt says changes mandated in DPR on PMAY-U 2.0
The ministry said the third and final instalment for PMAY 2.0’s central government assistance will only be released upon getting completion certificate
The government has mandated that detailed project reports of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U) 2.0 should be comprehensive and include all related infrastructure services along with timelines for handing over, the ministry of housing and urban affairs (MoHUA) has said in its action taken report on the standing committee recommendations tabled in the Parliament.
In December 2023, the standing committee on housing and urban affairs pointed out that while MoHUA claimed many housing units built under the PMAY were “completed”, basic amenities such as accessible roads, sewerage, water, and electricity connections were not provided.
In its reply, the ministry said “states have been advised to complete basic infrastructure facilities in these AHP/ISSR projects either through their own resources or by converging with other central/state schemes so that they may be delivered to the eligible beneficiaries in time.”
The ministry also said that the third and final instalment for PMAY 2.0’s central government assistance will only be released upon getting completion certificates in respect of the projects/blocks including associated infrastructure in each project.
While the standing committee headed by TDP’s Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy questioned the adequacy of government assistance for PMAY 2.0, MoHUA said the proposed funding was “to provide a nudge to the beneficiaries and enable them to construct their houses by arranging funds from other sources as well”.
On the issue of the committee’s recommendation for private funding for mass transit options such as metro rail, the ministry said the experience of public-private partnership (PPP) model in metro rail projects “is not encouraging”. MoHUA cited the Airport Express line in Delhi that was handed over to DMRC as the private player pulled out of service in 2013. The ministry said even though all of these projects were provided grants by the state and centre and also aided by the government(s) to monetise their land, the projects became unviable. The ministry said following the Metro Rail Policy, 2017, Mumbai Metro Line 1, Hyderabad Metro Rail Project and Pune Metro Line 3 (under construction) have been readied under the PPP model.