Chhattisgarh has once again failed to find any mention in the latest list of the number of affordable houses built for urban poor of the Union Ministry of Urban Development in the country.

As per the list, Gujarat is far ahead of other States in construction of affordable houses for urban poor under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) (Urban) launched by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 25, 2015.

In Gujarat, 25,873 houses have so far been built for the benefit of urban poor accounting for 32% of the total 82,048 such houses built under PMAY(Urban) in 30 States and Union Territories.

Gujarat is followed by Rajasthan with 10,805 houses constructed so far (13.17per cent of total), Karnataka-10,447 (12.70 per cent), Tamil Nadu- 6,940 (8.00 per cent), Maharashtra-5,506 (6.70 per cent), Uttar Pradesh-3,822 (4.65 per cent), Madhya Pradesh-2,666 (3.0 per cent), Bihar-2,409 (2.90 per cent), Jammu & Kashmir-1,986 (2.42 per cent) and Andhra Pradesh -1,650 houses accounting for 2 per cent of the total houses so far built.

City-wise, Ahmadabad-led others with construction of 10,183 followed by Jaipur-7,434, Surat-5,216, Rajkot-3,817, Bengaluru-3,428, Vadodara-1,665, Gaya-1,334, Tumkur (Karnataka)-1,286, Chennai-1,279, Gulbaraga (Karnataka)-1,203, Jamnagar (Gujarat)-1,111,  Dhanbad-1,156, Visakhapatnam-1,094, Alwar (Rajasthan)-883 and Rai Bareli (UP)-802.

Under PMAY(Urban), beneficiaries belonging to Economically Weaker Sections. low Income Groups and Middle Income Groups under the components of In-Situ Slum Redevelopment, Affordable Housing in Partnership, Beneficiary led Construction and Credit linked Subsidy Scheme.

 Central assistance of up to Rs1.00 lakh is provided for each dwelling unit to be built for the benefit of slum dwellers using land as resource there by slum dwellers getting new pucca houses free of cost. Central assistance of Rs1.50 lakh per each beneficiary is provided under AHP and BlC components while interest subsidy of 6.50 per cent is extended under ClSS for lIG and interest subsidy of 3 per cent and 4 per cent under recently announced ClSS for Middle Income Groups.

During the last three years, 3.55 lakh affordable houses have been constructed for urban poor including those sanctioned under JNNURM prior to March,  2014.

It may be recalled that Chhattisgarh has also received no sanction of affordable houses in the latest list of the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation under the Prime Minister’s Awas Yojana (Urban).

Notably, Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation has sanctioned 3,128 more affordable houses for the benefit of urban poor in Puducherry, 924 for Telangana and 2,655 for Himachal Pradesh under the Prime Minister’s Awas Yojana (PMAY) (Urban).

In addition, Karnataka was sanctioned 31,424 houses, Madhya Pradesh -27,475,  Bihar-25,221, Jharkhand-20,099, Kerala-11,480 and Odisha-2,115 houses under PMAY(Urban).

Notably, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana(Urban) was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 25, 2015 with the objective of enabling all poor urban households own a pucca house with necessary basic amenities.

The Ministry approved 1,24,521 affordable houses for urban poor yesterday taking the total number of such houses being constructed under PMAY(Urban) with an approved investment of Rs95,671 cr so far.

Central assistance of Rs27,766 cr has been approved for construction of these houses. Noting that housing mission in urban areas is gaining momentum,

Union Urban Development Minister  M.Venkaiah Naidu has directed the Ministry officials to ensure that necessary measures were taken by the respective city and State Governments for building houses for urban poor in quick time.

Puducherry has been sanctioned 3,128 houses in four towns under Beneficiary led Construction (BlC) component of PMAY (Urban) at a total project cost of Rs131 cr for which central assistance of Rs47 cr has been approved. With this, total number of houses sanctioned for Puducherry has increased to 3,848.

Puducherry city has got 2,093 houses followed by Karaikal-592, Yanam-358 and Mahe-85 houses.

In Telanagana, Siddipet has been sanctioned enhancement of 924 houses under BlC component at a total cost of about Rs14 crores for which central assistance of Rs14 cr has been approved.

 With this, total number of houses sanctioned for the State under PMAY(Urban) has gone up to 81,405.

Himachal Pradesh has been sanctioned 2,655 houses for 12 towns at a total project cost of Rs102 cr for which central assistance of Rs40 cr has been approved. With this, total number of houses sanctioned for the State under PMAY(Urban) has increased to 4,569 so far.

In Himachal Pradesh, Nalagarh has been sanctioned 531 houses followed by Nahan-289, Dharamshala-227, Una-217, Mandi-174, Shimla-61, Chaba-57, Bilaspur-37, Solan-27, Baddi-25, Kullu-9 and Parwana-1. Under BlC component of PMAY (Urban), the beneficiaries are provided central assistance of Rs1.50 lakh each for construction of a pucca house on their own land or for improvements in existing house.

The State Revenue Department will allot land at the rate of Rs 1 per square feet to the Urban Administration and Development Department to construct low-cost residential quarters for economically weaker sections and poorer sections of the society in urban pockets of the State. The project is to come up under ‘Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Housing for All’ scheme, officials informed.