The housing sector in Maharashtra is gearing up for an ambitious mission – the construction of 7.27 lakh affordable houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) by December 2024. This target aligns with the revised deadline set by the Centre. The state housing department recently announced this ambitious initiative, aimed at providing much-needed affordable housing to the people of Maharashtra.
A senior official from the housing department revealed that a significant number of these affordable houses are planned for various regions, including the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA), Nagpur, and Aurangabad. Mumbai is expected to witness the construction of over 1 lakh units, while the Pune, Nagpur, and Aurangabad regions will see the creation of around 50,000 to 60,000 houses.
The revised target of constructing 7.27 lakh affordable housing units was set by the Centre, with 60% (around 4 lakh units) already in various stages of construction. It’s worth noting that the original target, established in 2015, aimed to construct 15.82 lakh units by 2022. However, the target was recalibrated due to the exclusion of slum rehabilitation projects from the scheme, coupled with the disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. This led to the extension of the deadline to 2024.
Another senior official from the state housing department confirmed the target revision and mentioned the financial aspects of the project. The state is expecting a subsidy of approximately Rs 80 billion from the Centre, with a state contribution of Rs 50 billion. The Centre has already provided Rs 20 billion, and the state has allocated Rs 30 billion.
In a significant move, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for more than 6,400 affordable housing units in the PMRDA region. Furthermore, around 1,000 units were inaugurated in the Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad civic areas. PMRDA is actively working on constructing approximately 6,452 units in the Moshi area by 2025 under the PMAY scheme.
To facilitate the distribution of these houses, the state housing department is collaborating with Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and banks. The Maharashtra Housing Corporation, along with appointed NGOs, will assist beneficiaries in the process of obtaining these affordable houses. Ongoing negotiations with banks are aimed at providing loans to the beneficiaries, ensuring a smoother pathway towards homeownership for many citizens across Maharashtra.
