Puri takes on govt over affordable housing

New Delhi: Union housing and urban affairs minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Monday said the Delhi government had done little to provide affordable housing to people in Delhi under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY).

The minister alleged that despite repeated letters to the urban development department of the state government there has been no response.

“Only 16,300 house owners have availed of the benefit under the PMAY. But in that the state government has no role to plan. In the other three components of PMAY, the Delhi government has sent no proposal,” Puri said.

Puri said that since 2017, his ministry has written 14 letters to various officials of the Delhi government’s urban development department. “But we have not got a single proposal from them. The Centre can only make policies. The state governments have to come forwards to avail the benefit,” Puri said.

The AAP didn’t respond.

The minister said the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) will redevelop 378 JJ clusters under the slum rehabilitation programme of PMAY. “We had written two letters to Delhi urban Shelter Improvement Board. But there has not been any proposal from their side. Now, DDA will take up in-situ redevelopment of slum clusters,” he said.

DDA vice-chairman Tarun Kapoor said that out of 378 clusters, 32 clusters have already been surveyed and in-site redevelopment work will be tendered for five clusters by the end of this year.