Ghaziabad's Long-Awaited PMAY Housing Dream Finally Realizes
After nearly eight years of frustrating delays, the Ghaziabad Development Authority has finally started handing over possession of flats to beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-urban scheme. This significant development brings relief to hundreds of families who have been waiting since 2017 for their promised homes.
Current Status of Flat Distribution
In the Madhuban Bapudham housing complex, the GDA has successfully completed over 300 registries out of 856 constructed units. The beneficiaries, who were originally selected through a transparent lottery system, are now receiving the keys to their new homes. Officials have confirmed that construction work in other zones has also been finished, with possession procedures likely to commence shortly.
The upcoming distributions will include 1,200 units in Pratap Vihar, 480 in Noor Nagar, and 528 in Newari. Significant infrastructure development has accompanied these projects, including the construction of an approach road and a 400 KLD Sewage Treatment Plant built at a cost of Rs 3 crore in Newari.
Scheme Details and Financial Structure
The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana was launched nationally in 2015 with the ambitious goal of providing affordable housing to economically weaker sections. The scheme reached Ghaziabad around 2017 but immediately encountered multiple obstacles that caused extensive delays.
Under the program's financial structure, each flat costs Rs 6 lakh, with the cost shared between multiple stakeholders. The central government contributes Rs 2.5 lakh, the state government provides Rs 1 lakh, and the eligible beneficiary must contribute the remaining Rs 2.5 lakh. To qualify for the scheme, the annual family income of beneficiaries must be less than Rs 4 lakh.
Challenges and Delays Explained
The extensive eight-year delay resulted from multiple factors, primarily stemming from coordination issues between various government agencies. Initially, due to insufficient funds, several key departments including the PWD, UP Jal Nigam, and the power department failed to provide essential utilities like electricity, water supply, sewer connections, and approach roads within the stipulated timeframe.
While the GDA has begun delivering units in its own colonies and housing schemes, private developers have consistently failed to meet their commitments. In Ghaziabad alone, 11 private developers were mandated to construct 6,481 units under PMAY, but so far, less than 50% of the work has been completed, and not a single unit has been allotted by private developers.
Private Developer Accountability
The failure of private developers to fulfill their PMAY obligations has prompted strict action from the authorities. The GDA earlier cancelled the license of the Signature Building project in Raj Nagar Extension township, where the developer was supposed to construct over 400 units under the scheme.
Despite being offered substantial incentives including a 50% rebate on development fees and exemption from land use charges, private developers failed to complete construction within the mandatory 24-month deadline. Since all developers missed this crucial timeline, they are no longer entitled to any waivers or concessions under the scheme.
Officials also highlighted that apart from PMAY, it is compulsory for all group housing developers to construct 10% of total flats for Economically Weaker Sections and another 10% for Low-Income Groups, emphasizing the government's continued commitment to affordable housing.
The commencement of flat possession marks a significant milestone in Ghaziabad's affordable housing journey, though the substantial gap between government and private sector performance highlights ongoing challenges in the scheme's implementation.
