Frustrated by repeated delays, allottees of houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) staged a protest outside the Collectorate office on Tuesday, demanding immediate completion of the housing projects.
By 11 am, hundreds had gathered, some carrying portraits of the Prime Minister and Chief Minister. Chants of “We demand our right” continued until 2:30 pm.
Their anger centres on stalled schemes in Gangaganj, 12 Number Bus Stop and Bagmugaliya. Promised possession by March 2025, many say construction hasn’t even started at several sites.
Collector Kaushalendra Vikram Singh summoned Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) Additional Commissioner Tina Yadav for an update. Protesters questioned the latest assurance of completion by December 2025.
The delay has hit lower-income and middle-class families hardest. With rent and loan EMIs to manage, many say their savings are rapidly depleting.
A similar protest in October led to promises from BMC Commissioner Harendra Narayan. That deadline too passed without progress.
The 12 Number Bus Stop project, sanctioned in 2017 with a Rs 247 crore outlay for 1,800 flats, remains incomplete despite its two-year target.
Projects in Gangaganj and Bagmugaliya face the same fate. Beneficiaries who booked long ago are now caught in uncertainty and rising costs.
The issue reached the state assembly on March 21, when MLA Bhagwandas Sabnani highlighted the burden on families paying both rent and loans.