By Arun Pratap Singh
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 20 Aug: The Pushkar Singh Dhami Government has asserted that by December this year, more than 15,000 families will receive permanent houses under the Prime Minister Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U). The officials claim that the construction of 15,496 housing units across 18 projects is underway, with nearly 84 per cent having been already completed. They also claim that the keys to 1,271 houses have already been handed over, including 768 in Roorkee and 503 in Haridwar. They also stated that the executing agencies have been directed to finish all the pending projects by 30 September.
In Udham Singh Nagar, the largest beneficiary district, 10,200 houses are being built, with significant progress reported in Rudrapur, Jaspur, Sitarganj and Kashipur. Haridwar district has 4,528 units under construction, while Nainital’s Ummednagar project of 528 houses is complete. In Dehradun, 180 of 240 houses under the Dhaulas Housing Scheme are ready.
Commenting on this development, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami stated that, in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mantra of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas’, the state government is committed to ensuring that the benefits of development schemes reach eligible families. He added that the Prime Minister Awas Yojana (PMAY) is a strong foundation for the dignity, security and a better future for poor families. He also claimed that the thousands of economically weaker families in the state have directly benefited from the scheme. He also shared that, to further support eligible families, the state government’s contribution under the scheme is being increased from Rs 50,000 to Rs 75,000.
However, while the government’s claims highlight progress, scepticism remains given the poor track record of meeting housing deadlines in the past. Several projects have faced repeated extensions, leaving beneficiaries waiting far longer than promised. It remains to be seen how much of the declared target of 15,000 houses is actually achieved by the end of this year.
