The Centre has disbursed Rs 1.64 lakh crore to all states and Union Territories (UTs) under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U) for constructing houses for the urban poor, Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Tokhan Sahu announced on Thursday in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.
Since ‘Land’ and ‘Colonisation’ are state subjects, housing schemes for citizens are implemented by the respective states and UTs. However, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs supplements these efforts by providing Central assistance under PMAY-U, which was launched on June 25, 2015. The goal is to provide pucca houses with basic civic amenities to all eligible urban beneficiaries, including the poor, across the country.
According to the data presented by the Minister, a total of Rs 2 lakh crore has been approved under the scheme, with allocations made to all states and UTs. PMAY-U is a demand-driven scheme, and the Union government has not set any specific target for the construction of houses. Instead, the scheme responds to project proposals submitted by the states and UTs.
As of July 22, 2024, 118.64 lakh houses have been sanctioned under PMAY-U. Of these, 114.33 lakh houses have commenced construction, and 85.04 lakh have been completed and handed over to beneficiaries.
The scheme period, originally set to end on March 31, 2022, has been extended to December 31, 2024, except for the Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme vertical. This extension aims to complete all sanctioned houses without altering the funding pattern or implementation methodology.
This significant financial support and extension of the PMAY-U scheme underscores the government’s commitment to providing adequate housing for the urban poor, ensuring that more citizens can benefit from safe and secure living conditions.
