The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved an extension to the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban so that the houses sanctioned under the scheme can be completed, government officials said.
The scheme was launched in 2015 with the aim of constructing over 1.12 crore homes in urban areas by August 15, 2022. The Cabinet approved an extension till December 31, 2024 so that the houses already sanctioned are completed, a government statement said. While the initial demand for houses was 1.12 crore, the Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry has so far sanctioned 122.69 lakh houses, of which 102.59 lakh have been grounded and 61.77 lakh have delivered as on August 1.
In a reply in the Lok Sabha on July 21, Housing and Urban Affairs Minister of State Kaushal Kishore had said: “A proposal seeking extension of the mission upto March 2024, to complete all houses sanctioned under the scheme upto 31 March 2022 without changing the funding pattern and implementation methodology, is under consideration. Meanwhile, an interim extension of 6 months for all verticals except Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme has been granted.”