House panel suggests flexible central support

The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban), the government's flagship programme for urban housing, has a number of flaws, according to the parliamentary standing committee on housing and urban affairs, and it should not be uniformly funded across the nation; rather, it should vary depending on local conditions. The committee, led by MP Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh, noted in its report submitted to the Lok Sabha that the average cost of an EWS house built under the programme is approximately 0.65 million, which is split among the central government, state government, urban local bodies (ULBs), and beneficiaries. In metropolitan, non-metropolitan, hilly, and North-Eastern states, the estimated average cost of an EWS dwelling under PMAY-U is 1.334 million, 1.034 million, 0.898 million, and 0.855 million, respectively. While the contribution from the states may differ and some states make only a small contribution, the center's share is set. The central assistance is set at 0.1 million, 0.15 million, 0.15 million, and 0.231 million for the In-Situ Slum Redevelopment (ISSR), Beneficiary Led Construction (BLC), Affordable Housing Project (AHP), and Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme (CLSS), respectively. The statement read, The committee have noted that beneficiary contribution rises due to less/no state support and fixed central assistance, making EWS housing unaffordable among the targeted population. If a second phase of the PMAY(U) Mission is planned after the first is over, the Ministry may do away with uniform and fixed central aid nationwide. The amount of central support should vary based on construction costs, which in turn depend on geography and other considerations. The panel believed that the central aid should vary because certain states are struggling to bridge the gap due to a lack of resources. The report also stated that no independent study to determine the need for urban housing had been carried out by the ministry. The statement read: The committee feels that being a demand-driven scheme, there are chances that some homeless people who did not meet the eligibility requirements for the scheme or due to other impediments like maximum contribution from individuals, requirement of land, etc., could not avail of the benefit. In order to learn more about the scheme's benefits, gaps, and flaws, the committee has advised the ministry to conduct an impact assessment study. According to the report, the ministry may then investigate the viability of either extending the current scheme with modifications based on impact assessment study or to formulate another such scheme to benefit the urban poor at large in order to achieve the Government of India's objective of Housing for All.