BHUBANESWAR : With 47,000 houses to be constructed in the state under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U) within 12 months, the government has rolled out a ‘100 days challenge’ for the urban local bodies (ULBs) to ensure completion of maximum number of dwelling units within the given deadline.
The Odisha Urban Housing Mission (OUHM) under the Housing and Urban Development department has asked the ULBs to initiate measures accordingly. According to OUHM officials, a total 28,472 dwelling units under PMAY-U is under various stages of construction in the urban areas, while 18,769 dwelling units sanctioned in the last three months also need to be completed at the earliest.
The agency has also informed the ULBs that they are just about a year away from closure of the scheme which translates into a tall target of 47,000 houses that need to be completed within 12 months. The OUHM has also underlined that completion of the dwelling units has a direct impact on the release of instalments from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and smooth functioning of the scheme in the state.
The ULBs have been asked to complete the sanctioned dwelling units by March 4, 2024. The performance of the ULBs will be measured on the grounds of execution of the projects and completion of the houses. High performing ULBs will also be felicitated.
However, this is not the only move the state government has taken to ensure timely completion of the PMAY-U houses. It had asked the ULBs two weeks back to give an undertaking to wind up the work within the deadline or spend the spillover fund under the project from their own coffer.
The PMAY-U project is in the ninth year of its implementation in the state. Out of 1,71,631 houses targeted to be constructed under the scheme in different categories such as beneficiary-led construction (BLC), affordable housing in partnership (AHP) and in-situ slum rehabilitation (ISSR), 1, 51,243 houses, around 88 per cent, have been sanctioned, while around 23 per cent of the sanctioned houses are yet to be completed.
Stiff Target
47,000 houses to be constructed in 1 year
28,472 under construction
18,769 more newly sanctioned
ULBs have to provide funds from own sources if they miss the deadline