State may build 1.07 lakh cheap homes, none in Mumbai

Two years after making an announcement to build 19 lakh affordable houses for the public, the Maharashtra government has proposed to build 1.07 lakh houses in various parts of the state, but none in Mumbai. The proposed houses would be constructed in the outskirts of Thane, Pune, Kalyan, Palghar, Nagpur, Akola areas and will need funding of Rs 11.29 crore.

Officials from housing and other departments held a meeting at Mantralaya last week, where they approved about 32 proposals. The Centre and the state government will build the houses under the Prime Minister Awas Yojana. However, the officials pointed out that the state is lagging behind its target of constructing 19 lakh houses by 2022.

The projects approved include 252 houses in Kalaman-Nagpur, 416 in Ajgaon-Nashik, 1,012 in Bolinj Virar, 1,804 in Bhandarli and 3,822 in Gotheghar in Thane. In suburban Kalyan, 1,148 houses will come in Barave, 6368 will come in Khoni, 3630 in Juchandra Palghar. Akola will have 1241, Amaravati 6158 and Solapur 2356 houses. Pen will have 1100, Nilje Phata will have 4970, Khalapur in Raigad will have 2685 houses.

“There are total 32 proposals approved having 1,07,874 houses and '11.29 crore. The respective municipal bodies or MHADA will be the nodal agencies constructing these houses. We have only approved proposals from the government bodies in the first phase. There were few private proposals also. But nothing has been decided yet,” said an official from the housing department said.

However, space-starved residents of Mumbai will not get any benefit from the proposed scheme.

“There is a space constrain in Mumbai. The Prime Minister Awas Yojana is implemented in areas having no slum redevelopment authority. The city has its own Slum authority functioning well. Also, in cities like Pune and Thane, the affordable houses will come up in the outskirts which do not fall under the slum authorities,” the official said.

The announcement to build 19 lakh affordable houses was made by CM minister Devendra Fadnavis after assuming office in 2014.

This was one of the main promises of the BJP-led government. The houses, being planned under the Pradhan Mantri Aawas Yojana, are for first-time buyers with a monthly household income of not more than Rs 25,000, and those who are willing to buy units of not more than 30 sq metres or 322 sq feet. The Centre and the state jointly share a subsidy of Rs 2.5 lakh each for homebuyers of the economically weaker section.