Latest news with #PMAY(U
Hans India
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
PMAY(U) turns 10: Beneficiaries thank Centre for fulfilling dream of owning home
New Delhi: As the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban), or PMAY(U), completes a decade since its launch in June 2015, beneficiaries across India — from Uttar Pradesh's Ballia, Saharanpur and Mainpuri to Chhattisgarh's Jashpur and Madhya Pradesh's Burhanpur — are expressing heartfelt gratitude to the Union government for turning their long-cherished dream of homeownership into reality. The scheme, aimed at providing affordable pucca houses to the urban poor, has not only improved living standards but also uplifted the dignity and morale of millions of Indians. In Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur, Kusum Gupta is one of the beneficiaries who have benefitted under PMAY(U). With a Rs 2.5 lakh financial aid disbursed in three installments, she was able to build her own house. Recalling the challenges of her past life in a kutcha house and rented accommodation, she shared, 'Earlier, the landlord would ask us to vacate anytime. We were always living in fear. But after hearing about the PMAY(U) forms being filled, I applied and started receiving financial assistance. Today, we live peacefully in our own home.' She added, 'Every month, we paid rent, lived under constant stress, and now it feels like a blessing. Thank you, Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We wish to see him in government again so more people can benefit.' Another resident, Rajwati, echoes similar sentiments. 'We have availed almost every government scheme — Ayushman Card, gas cylinder, and now a house,' she said. She underwent free eye treatment under Ayushman Bharat and now lives in a pucca home built under PMAY. 'There were constant fights in rented houses. But now we live under our own roof peacefully. It feels like a new life,' she added. In Ballia, Bechan, a resident of Rajput Nevri Bhrigu Ashram, is all praise for the PMAY(U) scheme. Three years ago, he moved from a thatched roof to a pucca house, thanks to the financial assistance provided under the scheme. 'It's a brilliant initiative by the Prime Minister. We're benefitting from every scheme he has introduced,' he said. Parvati Devi, another resident of the same locality, shared the same gratitude. 'Earlier, monsoons were a nightmare. Now we live securely,' she said. In Mainpuri, Uttar Pradesh, the government's inclusive approach has ensured that the PMAY(U) benefits reach everyone — regardless of caste, creed or social background. People who once lived in mud huts now reside in stable, pucca homes. 'I want to thank the Modi government for this wonderful scheme. It has helped me fulfil my lifelong dream of owning a house,' said Ian Bite, a local beneficiary. In Chhattisgarh's Jashpur, the scheme has brought transformational change. Bagicha Nagar Panchayat residents, including Sunil Ram, Budheshwar Sahu, Savitri Bai, and Phulsai Baiga, now live in pucca homes, replacing their vulnerable kutcha shelters. 'The rainy season used to bring floods inside our homes. It was a struggle to keep even basic belongings safe,' said Gutaram, who earlier lived in a straw and mud hut. 'Now, with a proper concrete house, it feels like a dream come true. We are finally living with dignity.' Residents have noted that their overall quality of life — including health, safety, and educational opportunities for children — have significantly improved. Similarly, Burhanpur district has also undergone a visible transformation under PMAY(U). Once dotted with slums and makeshift dwellings, the city now boasts structured colonies with over 1,470 pucca homes built in Chinchala Mohalla, Ward No. 48 of Lalbagh area. 'During monsoons, our home used to flood, walls would stay damp, and children couldn't even study properly. Now, life is much more stable,' said a local resident The scheme's participatory model allowed beneficiaries to be involved in building their own homes. This fostered a sense of ownership and pride, especially among women who took an active role in the process. 'PMAY has not just given us homes, it has given us self-respect,' said Vinayak Shivhare, a beneficiary. 'Earlier, we had so many problems, but now we have a place we can call our own.' Another beneficiary, Bharat Rajpur said, 'This scheme has truly fulfilled our dreams. Thank you, PM Modi.' On June 18, during the third meeting of the Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee (CSMC) chaired by Secretary Srinivas Katikithala from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), the Centre approved the construction of 2.35 lakh houses under PMAY-U 2.0. Implemented through four verticals — Beneficiary Led Construction (BLC), Affordable Housing in Partnership (AHP), Affordable Rental Housing (ARH), and Interest Subsidy Scheme (ISS) — PMAY-U 2.0 aims to deliver an additional 1 crore homes to urban families. Of these, the houses sanctioned in the recent CSMC meeting fall under BLC and AHP. So far, 7.09 lakh homes have been approved under PMAY-U 2.0. The scheme provides up to Rs 2.5 lakh central assistance per housing unit. Only those families that do not own a pucca house anywhere in India are eligible to benefit. With more than 93.19 lakh homes already constructed under the original PMAY(U), the introduction of PMAY-U 2.0 is set to widen the net, especially for families in the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), Lower Income Group (LIG), and Middle Income Group (MIG) categories. Since its launch in 2015, PMAY(U) has transformed the urban housing landscape of India. More than just a real estate initiative, the scheme is seen as a social revolution that offers not only physical infrastructure but also restores dignity and improves socio-economic conditions. The direct participation model has enabled citizens to be co-creators of their homes, fostering self-reliance. Women, especially, have emerged as key stakeholders—many properties are registered in their names, reinforcing gender empowerment. As the scheme enters its next phase with PMAY-U 2.0, millions more await the joy of homeownership. For families across India, the PMAY(U) has been more than just a housing scheme, it is a ladder to stability, security, and dignity. From escaping the indignity of rented houses and makeshift huts to owning a safe, clean, and concrete home, the journey has been transformative.
Time of India
11-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
City admin unable to ensure parked vehicles & shops stay in proper lanes
Bhopal: Broadening of roads—from four-lane to six-lane and two-lane to four-lane—is an all-pervasive trend in the city. The objective is to remove bottlenecks hampering traffic flow and provide ample space for all kinds of vehicles and pedestrians to move on the road with ease. But the majority of people believe that the very purpose is defeated as extra space created by the broadening of roads is instantly occupied by vendors and parked vehicles, leaving the road cramped and congested with traffic. "Having broad roads is not only necessary in view of the increasing density of traffic but it's aesthetically appealing too. However, as soon as you have a road broadened, a substantial portion of the extra space is occupied by parked cars, autos, and other vehicles, let alone stray cows and other animals, who also like to stretch themselves a little more and relax on the road. Of course, vendors also start operating from the road itself," said Deepak Gupta, a resident of Gulmohar Colony on the situation. Pankaj Sriwas, a resident of Arera Colony, while referring to the road in front of Kamlapati railway station and Kolar Road, said, "In front of the Kamlapati railway station, you must have seen, on one side you have parked vehicles and on the other side, you have tea stalls and pan shops operating. It's quite a broad road and there are service lanes on both sides as well, but traffic chaos still persists there and you have a situation of traffic jam every now and then. " Puneet Shrivastava, a student, said, "I am not opposed to vendors selling their things from the roadside and even occupying a portion of the footpath. They are poor people and doing it to make both ends meet, but setting up a kiosk or putting a handcart on the road itself and starting to sell snacks or other things should not be permissible." Anubhuti Sharma, a school teacher, said, "Earlier, when roads elsewhere in the city were not so broad except for Link Road No. 1, you had fruits and indigenous cold drinks like 'nimbu pani' and 'pana' being sold by vendors from the road. Then rows of PUC (pollution checking units) vans occupied Link Road No. 2, and as more and more roads are being broadened, you have vendors occupying some of those roads also." She reasoned that as the vacant space by the roadside vanishes due to the broadening of the road, from where the vendors operated, they start occupying the road itself. BMC commissioner Harendra Narayan, when contacted for comments, said, "It's primarily for the PWD to fix the problem. As far as BMC is concerned, we conduct regular drives to remove encroachments from the road, including temporary settlements of the vendors. " "It is the lack of enforcement," said retired chief engineer VK Amar. "India's urban roads are choked with encroachments, illegal parking, and unauthorised street vending, which might reduce usable road space by up to 50%. Near MANIT Bhopal, slum dwellers relocated under schemes like PMAY(U) lease out allotted homes and return to informal settlements, exploiting weak enforcement of rules against renting or selling. Street vendors illegally occupy pavements and roads. Vegetable sellers often set up stalls on busy roadsides or footpaths, reducing road width and obstructing pedestrian movement." Amar further said that strict enforcement and smart infrastructure are key to tackling encroachments. Municipalities must conduct regular surveys to ensure slum dwellers comply with housing policies. The Indian Road Congress mandates service lanes to segregate parking and local traffic. Indore's multi-level model—integrating a four-lane road, two-lane flyover, and metro line—could also be a useful solution. Traffic police and civic bodies must enforce no-parking zones, while smart parking systems, like multi-level car parks, can curb roadside parking. A master plan integrating these solutions, with stakeholder participation, is essential. Municipalities, state govts, traffic police, NHAI, and citizens share responsibility to ensure roads are used efficiently, he said.
New Indian Express
29-04-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Seven affordable housing projects in four cities in Odisha scrapped for delay in execution
BHUBANESWAR : Failure on part of three urban development authorities and an urban local body to take up affordable housing projects in a time-bound manner under their jurisdictions has resulted in cancellation of seven projects under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban). As per sources, Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA), Cuttack Development Authority (CDA), Rourkela Development Authority (RDA) and Jatni Municipality have failed to take up construction of about 3,400 affordable dwelling units sanctioned by the Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee (CSMC) under two verticals - Affordable Housing in Partnership (AHP) and In-situ Slum Redevelopment (ISSR) - of PMAY (U) between 2017 and 2021. However, since PMAY (U) has been closed in the state, these urban bodies have now been asked to submit cancellation proposal for the same within 15 days. While the AHP under PMAY (U) provided central assistance to economically weaker sections (EWS) beneficiaries for owning a pucca house, the ISSR facilitated redevelopment of slums using land as a resource and provided houses to eligible slum dwellers through private investment. Sources in the Odisha Urban Housing Mission (OUHM), the nodal agency for implementation of PMAY (U) in the state, said the 3,400 affordable housing units were supposed to be taken up by three development authorities and Jatni Municipality under seven projects - six AHP and one ISSR project. While the BDA was supposed to take up an ISSR project with 400 dwelling units at VSS Nagar, CDA was to take up two separate AHP projects of 288 EWS units and 540 dwelling units at Nimpur and Tulasipur respectively. Similarly, RDA was entrusted to execute three AHP projects for construction of 420 dwelling units at Pradhanpali and Basanti Colony, 800 EWS houses at Chhend and another 360 affordable housing units near Chamber of Commerce at Chhend. Meanwhile, the Jatni Municipality had also been granted an AHP project to construct 600 affordable houses at Ramachandrapur and Sandapur. OUHM officials said the project was sanctioned long back, between 2017 and 2021, under PMAY (U) but couldn't be executed by the development agencies till date. 'As PMAY (U) has now been closed and PMAY (U) 2.0 rolled out in the state, these urban bodies have now been asked to submit the cancellation proposals within a fortnight,' an official from the OUHM said. He said, in case there is a fresh demand for affordable houses under AHP vertical in the jurisdictions of these urban bodies, they will have to take necessary steps to prepare plan under PMAY (U) 2.0 and follow procedure as per its guidelines.
