Punjab CM Capt Amarinder Singh on Wednesday assured the Centre of his Government’s commitment in implementing the Central Government-aided poverty alleviation and housing projects in the State. Besides, he also promised to implement the Real Estate Regulatory Act (RERA) in letter and spirit in the State.
The assurances were made during the Chief Minister’s meeting with the Union Minister of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation M Venkaiah Naidu.
Capt Amarinder apprised him of the progress made by his Government on implementation of various Central schemes and projects for which the Union Government had released funds in the past, “but they did not reach the intended beneficiaries”.
To a suggestion from the Chief Minister on the adoption of certain rules from other states to strengthen RERA, Naidu said that the central government had no objection as long as there was no dilution of the spirit of the law.
Naidu, who is planning to visit Punjab in July to review the progress of the central projects, also noted that the Central Government funds released to the State had not been transferred to the beneficiaries.
Capt Amarinder said his Government was cognizant of the fact that the central funds were lying un-utilised as the previous dispensation had failed to transfer the same to the beneficiaries concerned.
His Government had started the process of verifying the beneficiaries, especially for the affordable housing scheme of the Central Government, he added.
The Chief Minister further assured the Union Minister that his Government was working on policies and programs for taking forward key projects, including the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) and the Housing for All mission.
An action plan had been drawn out by his government to launch the necessary reforms in the housing and real estate sector, said the Chief Minister.