Midway through the government’s ambitious Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), which promises housing for all by 2022, the Urban Development Ministry has cut down the scheme’s target.
When the project was launched in June 2015, the government had promised to construct 1.87 crore houses. “The estimation of 1.87 crore houses was based on a 2012 survey. When we did a ground survey, which is still going on, we found that the demand is less. We now peg it at 1.2 crore,” Housing and Urban Affairs Secretary D.S. Mishra said.
Despite the revised estimates, the speed with which the project is being implemented is less than satisfactory. By 2017-18, the government was to construct 12 lakh houses under the PMAY, out of this till last year only 1.49 lakh houses have been constructed.
The Centre seeks to construct 26 lakh houses in 2018-19, 26 lakh in 2019-20, 30 lakh in 2020-21 and 29.80 lakh in the 2021-22 period.
The Ministry will hold an “India Housing Construction Technology Challenge” calling worldwide bids. The firm that offers a cost-effective technology that is adaptable to Indian climatic conditions will be selected.
