Maharashtra built only 1,892 houses under PMAY in 2018-19

Not even close to its target of 19 lakh affordable houses in Maharashtra by 2020, the state government has constructed only 1,892 units in 2018-19 under the Pradhan MantriAwasYojana (PMAY). Meant for the economically weaker section, the constructed units this year are mostly in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, Pune and Shrirampur. The pace of construction lags far behind 55,695 houses built in 2017-18 and 1.69 lakh in 2016-17. Since the launch of the scheme in 2015, not even 10 per cent of the state target has been achieved. As per data available, Maharashtra government approved 2.07 lakh houses this financial year but they mostly remained on paper. The latest approval of 17,817 houses came on January 31 by the Centre for the urban poor. However, there is no deadline mentioned as to when the state would complete the construction of these houses. An official from the state Housing Department said that land acquisition is a complicated process and takes time. “As there’s shortage, land is not easily available for affordable housing. In cities like Mumbai, it’s very difficult to get a piece of land. Also, identifying beneficiaries is time-consuming. So, various agencies like Maharashtra Housing and Development Authority (MHADA), Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA), Urban Local Bodies (ULB), Municipal Corporations (MC) have been given the responsibility to identify land parcels and acquire them to make the scheme successful,” the official said.