Srinagar: Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo on Thursday directed officials to expedite the implementation of housing projects under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana–Urban (PMAY-U) and ensure that all eligible urban poor households in Jammu and Kashmir benefit from the scheme.
Chairing a review meeting of the Housing and Urban Development Department (H&UDD), the Chief Secretary asked Deputy Commissioners, Municipal Commissioners and other implementing agencies to speed up beneficiary verification, preparation of Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) and release of eligible instalments in accordance with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs guidelines.
He also called for greater field-level monitoring, timely resolution of pending issues, increased public awareness about the scheme and effective use of digital platforms to track progress.
During the meeting, Commissioner Secretary, Housing and Urban Development Department, Mandeep Kaur, reviewed the progress under PMAY-U 1.0 and PMAY-U 2.0 across the Union Territory.
According to the department, 31,663 of the revised target of 36,412 dwelling units sanctioned under PMAY-U 1.0 have been completed, achieving a completion rate of nearly 87 per cent, while the remaining houses are at different stages of construction.
Under PMAY-U 2.0, officials said 92 Detailed Project Reports covering 2,120 houses have been approved under the Beneficiary-Led Construction (BLC) component, with construction already underway on 1,379 houses.
Managing Director, J&K Housing Board, Smita Sethi, informed the meeting that 23,256 applications had been received under the BLC component, of which 20,154 had been verified, while scrutiny of the remaining applications was in progress.
The meeting also reviewed progress under the Affordable Housing in Partnership (AHP) and Interest Subsidy Scheme (ISS) components of PMAY-U 2.0. Officials said verification of applications under these schemes was being carried out on priority to facilitate timely approval of eligible beneficiaries.
The Chief Secretary concluded the meeting with a district-wise review and directed officers to improve coordination among stakeholders and ensure timely completion of all sanctioned housing projects across Jammu and Kashmir.
