The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) extension till December 31, 2024 has been approved by the Union Cabinet. The programme to provide incentives for affordable housing was first introduced in 2015, and its initial deadline was March 2022. It was started with the goal of providing homes for everyone by 2022.
The amount of central aid approved since 2015 is Rs. 2.03 trillion. According to a statement from the housing ministry, federal support or subsidies totalling Rs. 1.18 trillion have already been distributed up to 31 March 2022 and will be distributed totalling 85,406 crore till 31 December 2024.
The construction of already approved homes will be aided by the extension of the programme based on the requests of the states and union territories through December 31, 2024. Recently, Kaushal Kishore, the Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs, informed the legislature that the government is thinking of extending the flagship programme beyond 2024.
Kishore stated in a written Lok Sabha response: “Consideration is being given to a proposal that would extend the Mission through March 2024 in order to finish building all houses authorised under the scheme by March 31, 2022, all while maintaining the current funding structure and implementation strategy.”
A total of 12.26 million homes have been sanctioned thus far, of which 61.77 lakh have been finished, according to data on the PMAY website. The epidemic has delayed the completion of projects funded under the plan, thus the extension comes at a critical moment. Nirmala Sitharaman, the finance minister, emphasised expedited approvals for urban housing projects during the FY23 budget address.
“The central government will collaborate with the state governments to shorten the time needed for all clearances linked to land and construction, as well as to promote affordable housing for middle-class and economically disadvantaged groups in metropolitan regions,” she said.
The cabinet authorised the extension of the PMAY-Gramin (Rural) rural housing programme until March 2024 in December 2021. One of the main flagship programmes being carried out by the Indian government is Housing for All, which aims to offer all-weather pucca homes to all qualified beneficiaries in the nation’s metropolitan regions through the states, union territories, and federal nodal agencies. The programme encompasses every metropolitan area in the nation, including all statutory towns as of the Census of 2011 and towns that were notified later.
Affordable Housing in Partnership (AHP), Beneficiary Led Construction (BLC), Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme, and In-Situ Slum Redevelopment (ISSR) are the four verticals that make up the implementation of the programme (CLSS). State governments and union territories operate the programme, including the selection of recipients, while the Centre provides the financial support.
The Universal Postal Union’s (UPU) Constitution was amended in another decision by the union cabinet led to provide further legal stability and clarity for the union’s actions.
Upon receiving permission, the Department of Posts will be allowed to have the “Instrument of Ratification” signed by the President of India and deposit it with the Director General of the International Bureau of the Universal Postal Union, according to the government.
According to a statement from the ministry of communications, “This would satisfy the requirements resulting from Articles 25 and 30 of the UPU Constitution which allows for ratification of the modifications to the Constitution enacted by a Congress as soon as practicable by the member nations.”
The government also stated that the amendments to the UPU constitution approved by the 27th UPU Congress provide additional legal clarity and stability to the union’s acts, bring terminological consistency, fix numerous long-standing inconsistencies in the text, and accommodate provisions for the acts’ “acceptance or approval” in accordance with the Vienna Conventions on Law of Treaties, 1969.
Source: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/policy/union-cabinet-approves-extension-of-pmay-urban-till-dec-2024/articleshow/93486996.cms?from=mdr
