Bhubaneswar: With more than 50,000 houses yet to be completed under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY)-Urban, housing and urban development department is drawing up plans to complete the houses on time as the central scheme is inching closer to its completion in Dec.
According to the status, construction of 32,275 such houses is under progress while 17,915 houses are in the non-starter stage and 5,305 houses are not attached (status of which are not updated) by the respective urban local bodies.Considering the huge pendency of houses, mission director of Odisha Urban Housing Mission (OUHM), Debasish Singh, has written to commissioners and executive officers of all urban local bodies in the state to take urgent steps and complete the houses on time.
According to the steps suggested by the urban development department, heads of ULBs have been asked to complete all houses, which are in the roof stage (roof is yet to be built), within the next 30 days while houses, which are in lintel stage, are to be completed in the next 45 days.
Similarly, houses, which are in foundation stage, are to be completed in the next 60 days. In case of beneficiary-led construction, the department has asked ULBs to pursue the beneficiary and asked them to complete their houses in the next 120 days. “The beneficiaries, who are attached but not willing to start work despite all possible efforts at your level, may be proposed for curtailment after completing all due process. These proposals may be submitted to OUHM by July 15,” Singh directed the ULBs.
He said beneficiaries who have been attached once but are not availing the benefit may not get the benefit of such scheme in future. “In view of this, all possible steps must be taken to sensitise beneficiaries and encourage them to avail the benefit,” Singh stated.
The department has also proposed to undertake IEC activities through miking, posters, banners and meetings to sensitise the beneficiaries. Further to avoid conflicts in future, the ULBs have been asked to obtain a declaration from beneficiaries if they don’t want to be a part of the scheme.
Different types of constructions are taken up under PMAY-U to provide pucca houses to the urban poor. Those are affordable houses, in-situ slum redevelopment, rental housing and beneficiary-led construction.

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