40 lakh houses delivered under PMAY so far: Puri

More than 1.09 crore houses have been sanctioned under “Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY)- Housing for All” mission so far, according to the government. The central government has set a target of 1.12 crore houses in urban areas by 2022 under the flagship programme.

“While 40 lakh houses have been delivered, construction work is at different stages in more than 70 lakh houses,” said Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Minister for Housing & Urban Development on Monday.

Under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), more than 93 lakh water tap connections and 59 lakh sewer connections have been provided so far. By 2023, AMRUT will be able to provide targeted 1.39 crore water tap connections and 1.45 crore sewer connections. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) is planning a new Jal Jeevan Mission to cover all the statutory towns to make them ‘water secure’.

Highlighting the Ministry’s initiative to support people who have been more severely impacted by the pandemic, Puri said 50 lakh street vendors will benefit from the PM Svanidhi scheme, a programme launched in June 2020, for providing affordable collateral-free working capital loan to help urban street vendors resume their livelihoods.

“The redevelopment of the Central Vista is being undertaken to upgrade Parliament’s space, facilities and better equipping the Central Vista Avenue,” said Puri. “India’s Republic Day parade in 2022 will be at the new central avenue,” said Puri during a press interaction to discuss a range of issues about urban development.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid the foundation stone for the construction of the new Parliament building on 10 December. Asked about the expenditure involved in the project, Puri said much of the figures being bandied about are gross exaggerations. “I don’t know what the overall cost is going to be. The cost will be absorbed by each of the ministries in their budgets,” the minister clarified.