Form separate team for PMAY approvals, state govt tells Mhada

Mumbai: Admitting that there have been delays in approving projects under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), the state government in a government resolution (GR) agreed that approvals should to be given quickly and directed the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (Mhada) — the nodal agency that is implementing PMAY in the state — to form a separate team to monitor approvals.

The state government has made changes in the structure of the committee that sanctions PMAY projects. The committee, which was earlier headed by a deputy secretary rank officer, will now have an additional chief secretary (ACS) as its chief.

All this comes ahead of Union housing minister Venkaiah Naidu visit to Mumbai next week to take stock of the PMAY’s implementation in the state.

In the GR dated May 30, 2017 the housing department has admitted that PMAY projects were getting delayed because of the multi-layered sanctioning process.

The PMAY — which replaced the Rajiv Gandhi Awas Yojana (RGAY) after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government came to power in 2014 — is a central government scheme, which is being promoted to meet the target of  ‘Housing For All by 2022’.

Under the scheme, subsidy will be granted to first-time homebuyers who fall under the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) category and whose family income does not exceed Rs 25,000 per month.

The proposed scheme for the state comes under affordable housing partnership initiated with public and private sectors to grant subsidy in monetary terms but up to Rs 2.5 lakh. Lastly, the Centre has mooted subsidy to individuals for constructing their own houses where such individuals can avail of monetary assistance up to Rs 1.5 lakh.

The state government has approved construction of 1.40 lakh affordable homes, as of April 30, 2017.