Nearly 47% of the 9.7 lakh houses constructed under two verticals of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) in urban areas for the poor and slum dwellers remain unoccupied. This situation highlights the limited appeal of government-built houses when essential infrastructure and amenities are lacking. A parliamentary panel on the housing and urban affairs ministry has raised concerns, stating that the failure to occupy these houses undermines the very purpose of the mission.
According to the housing and urban affairs ministry’s submission to the parliamentary committee, beneficiaries have not moved into these houses due to inadequate infrastructure. The issue is particularly prevalent in houses constructed under the In-situ Slum Redevelopment (ISSR) vertical for slum dwellers. Nearly 70% of these houses remain unoccupied, as revealed by the ministry. In its report on the Demand for Grants (2024-25) tabled in Parliament, the panel recommended that the ministry monitor housing projects more closely. The panel also urged the ministry to address bottlenecks in construction and allotment processes and ensure better coordination between the central and state governments. Out of the total 9.7 lakh houses completed under the Affordable Housing Partnership (AHP) and ISSR verticals, approximately 5.1 lakh are occupied. The remaining 4.6 lakh houses are unoccupied due to incomplete infrastructure, lack of allotment, and the unwillingness of some beneficiaries. According to the PMAY-U scheme guidelines, the trunk infrastructure is to be provided by state or union territory governments, but delays and failures in this regard have resulted in the non-occupancy of many homes. The Centre contributed Rs 1 lakh under the ISSR vertical and Rs 1.5 lakh for the AHP. However, despite the financial assistance, many of the completed homes remain vacant.
