Over 6.54 crore people living in slums nationwide; 90.60 lakh houses delivered under PMAY-U

A total of 6.54 crore people, representing 1.39 crore households, are currently living in slums across the country, and 90.60 lakh houses have been completed or delivered to slum beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban (PMAY-U) as of March 3, the Parliament was informed on Monday.

In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs, Tokhan Sahu, said that the data on slum households is based on the 2011 Census.

Under the PMAY-U scheme, the ministry has sanctioned a total of 118.64 lakh houses, of which 112.46 lakh have commenced construction, and 90.60 lakh have been completed or delivered to beneficiaries as of March 3. The scheme’s timeline has been extended to December 31, to allow for the completion of sanctioned houses without altering the funding structure or implementation methodology.

Sahu also outlined the role of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) in supporting States and Union Territories by providing central assistance through the PMAY-U, which was launched on June 25. The scheme aims to provide pucca (permanent) houses in urban areas, including slums, through four verticals: Beneficiary-Led Individual House Construction/Enhancements (BLC), Affordable Housing in Partnership (AHP), In-Situ Slum Redevelopment (ISSR), and the Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme (CLSS).

The timeline for completing projects varies by state, with different verticals requiring between 12 to 36 months for completion, according to the Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) of the respective projects, Sahu noted.

He added that, based on nine years of implementation experience, the Ministry has revamped the scheme and launched PMAY-U 2.0 under the Housing for All mission, effective September 1, 2024, aiming to support an additional one crore eligible beneficiaries.

As of today, 30 states and Union territories have signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) for PMAY-U 2.0, and the ministry has granted in-principle approval for 6.77 lakh houses in these regions, Sahu informed.

(With IANS inputs)