Has the Centre Approved Another 2.35 Lakh Houses Under PMAY-Urban 2.0 Scheme?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- 2.35 lakh houses approved under PMAY-U 2.0.
- Focus on women empowerment with over 1.25 lakh houses for women.
- Inclusivity for marginalized groups including SC, ST, and OBC beneficiaries.
- Central assistance of up to Rs 2.50 lakh per housing unit.
- Encouragement for states to develop affordable housing policies.
New Delhi, June 18 (NationPress) The Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee has approved nearly 2.35 lakh houses for construction under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban 2.0. This decision came during their third meeting held on Wednesday, as stated by an official announcement.
In total, 2,34,864 houses have been approved across nine states: Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. As a result, the overall count of houses sanctioned under PMAY-U 2.0 has exceeded 7 lakh, according to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
Implemented through four primary verticals: Beneficiary Led Construction (BLC), Affordable Housing in Partnership (AHP), Affordable Rental Housing, and Interest Subsidy Scheme, PMAY-U 2.0 aims to provide housing for all.
The approval, led by Srinivas Katikithala, Secretary of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), focuses on the BLC and AHP verticals. During the meeting, Katikithala emphasized the need for larger states to develop an affordable housing policy and adapt proposals from Maharashtra's policy to local contexts. States and UTs were encouraged to ensure beneficiary identification at the initial approval stage to prevent future unoccupancy issues.
Among the newly approved houses, over 1.25 lakh units have been earmarked specifically for women, including single women and widows, reinforcing the empowerment of women. Additionally, 44 houses have been dedicated to transgender individuals.
The scheme promotes inclusivity, with 42,400 houses allocated to SC beneficiaries, 17,574 houses for ST beneficiaries, and 1,13,414 for OBC groups.
States and UTs are urged to expedite the verification process for beneficiaries who applied through the unified PMAY-U 2.0 web portal, prioritizing those from special focus groups.
Under PMAY-U 2.0, financial assistance will be extended to 1 crore families for constructing or purchasing a pucca house in urban settings. The initiative aims to uplift poor and middle-class families by providing secure housing, allowing them to focus on enhancing their quality of life. Individuals without any pucca house in the country are eligible for this support, with a central assistance of up to Rs 2.50 lakh per housing unit.
Originally launched in June 2015, the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban (PMAY-U) was revamped and relaunched as PMAY-U 2.0. So far, over 93.19 lakh houses have been completed and delivered to beneficiaries. With the launch of PMAY-U 2.0, an additional 1 crore economically weaker sections, lower-income groups, and middle-income groups in urban India will receive pucca houses.
Eligible individuals can apply directly through https://pmay-urban.gov.in/ or reach out to their respective ULBs for assistance. For the AHP and BLC verticals, households earning up to Rs 3 lakh annually can benefit, while the ISS vertical is open to households with incomes up to Rs 9 lakh. All eligible beneficiaries, including family members, must have their Aadhaar or Aadhaar Virtual ID linked.