PM Modi upset over gaps in housing plan for poor

New Delhi: Despite having launched the ambitious Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) scheme — under which the Prime Minister has promised housing for all urban poor by 2022 — four years back in June 2015, the tracking system to identify genuine beneficiaries under it, is yet to become operational. This is making it difficult for the government to identify actual beneficiaries.

Expressing displeasure at this major drawback in his pet scheme, Mr Narendra Modi is learnt to have directed top officials of the union ministry of urban affairs and housing as well as department of financial services to make the credit-linked subsidy scheme beneficiaries tracking system, and also the online grievance redressal system, functional by September 30, 2019.

The Prime Minister while making it amply clear to officials that the target of providing houses to urban poor has to be met by 2022 (which is the 75th year of Independence), is said to have aired his views during a review meeting of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, held recently, top sources said.

They further added that Mr Modi even asked state chief secretaries to see whether the grievance redressal mechanism and beneficiaries tracking systems are in place in their respective states.

The credit linked subsidy scheme beneficiaries tracking system or CBTS as it is called, had been envisaged along with the integrated online grievance redressal system, to streamline identification of genuine beneficiaries who are eligible under the flagship scheme, and also to address their grievances.

However the non functioning of these two key mechanisms is learnt to have irked the Prime Minister during the meeting, sources said, adding that the concerned departments were asked to address and rectify these issues by September 30, 2019.

The Prime Minister, they informed, is also said to have asked ministry officials to take necessary steps to make people aware of the scheme so as to reduce their grievances.

The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) had been launched by Mr Modi on June 1, 2015, with the aim of providing affordable housing to the urban poor by 2022.

Under this scheme, affordable houses will be built in selected cities and towns using eco-friendly construction methods for the benefit of the urban poor population in India. Also, under the credit linked subsidy scheme, beneficiaries under the scheme are eligible for interest subsidy if they avail a loan to purchase or construct a house.