THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The housing scheme for urban poor in the city could land in troubled waters as the central funds under the Pradhan Mantri Aawaz Yojana (PMAY) come with more clauses that were not there in the earlier Basic Services to the Urban Poor (BSUP) scheme.
Due to increased publicity, each councillor has received more applications for housing loans under the PMAY , but promises could not be delivered like before, the corporation councillors said during the budget discussion on Saturday. Under the former BSUP scheme, the corporation could give money to buy land and construct houses, pay for maintenance or just build a new house to the poor. However, under the PMAY scheme, only new houses can be constructed with central funds.
Similarly, the bank which funds the project had made it clear that only 30,000 people will be eligible for loans under the PMAY scheme in hundreds of civic bodies in the state. This essentially means that the city corporation can provide for only two houses in every ward even if it gets special consideration.
“In the last five years, we could build 20 houses in each ward under the BSUP scheme. There were a few hundred applicants but due to high advertisement given to the PMAY scheme by the BJP councillors, we received thousands of applications. We can give fewer houses now and people may get agitated,” lamented Punnakkamugal councillor R.P. Shivaji.
Thampanoor councillor M.V. Jayalekshmi said that the clauses in PMAY could badly affect houses in colonies such as Rajajinagar. “Many of the low-cost houses in Rajajinagar are in a dilapidated state. Maintenance could not be done under the BSUP, and with the PMAY we are in trouble,” she said.
The PMAY will provide Rs 3 lakh loan for the building and the beneficiaries should have at least Rs 50,000 capital with them. They would need to pay an interest of Rs 6.5 per cent which is much lower than bank interest. Earlier, ward sabhas used to scrutinise the beneficiary. “However, for the PMAY, there are many ineligible applicants like senior citizens who are looking for a second house after giving away their houses to the offspring,” Mr Shivaji said.
