Parl Panel criticises ministry over 'housing for all by 2022'

New Delhi: In a scathing report against the Urban Development Ministry of Union Government, a Parliamentary panel raised serious doubts about the competence of the ministry to fulfill the Central Government's ambitious housing programme for poor people of the country.

The report tabled in the recently concluded Monsoon Session of the Parliament sparks serious doubt about Prime Minister's dream project of 'housing for all by 2022'.

After examining the action taken by the Government on an earlier standing committee report on Public Undertaking, the committee headed by senior BJP leader Shanta Kumar commented, "The Committee is hardly impressed about the extremely low reach of the (Hudco Niwas ) under which a mere 245 dwelling units were sanctioned in 2016-17. The spurt shown in loan amount is also 'bulk loan' and not 'individual' loan, which again reiterates the Committee's apprehension that the scheme is perhaps not performing well in providing retail loans for individuals."'

They also said, "Unfortunately the performance of HUDCO's regional offices, as well as its newly developed software on the scheme, has also remained low, which according to the Ministry themselves, had suffered from limitations."

The Committee feels that the efforts of HUDCO to conduct two pilot feasibility studies in the state of Andhra and Gujarat were in the right spirit and recommend that these should be carried out expeditiously in a time-bound manner under a specified action plan so that the Ministry could take a call on the continuation of the scheme, based on results of the studies.

Criticising the ministry the committee said on the question of implementing the housing scheme in the municipal areas reply given by the housing ministry 'is vague'. With regard to occupancy of dwelling/housing units constructed with loan assistance given by HUDCO, the Committee in its earlier report had noted with concern that about 25% of the housing units constructed with the loan given by HUDCO under three schemes of JNNURM, BSUP, and IHSDP remain unoccupied.

The Committee had opined that the stance taken by HUDCO to remain unconcerned about large un-occupancy of the Houses, as their role was limited to providing just the loan assistance, was unwarranted and defeated the purpose of HUDCO's mandate for social housing. Hence the Committee observed that the company needs to be aware of the position regarding un-occupancy of houses constructed with HUDCO loan and its possible reasons as well as proceed further with an appropriate strategy.

The Committee finds the reply furnished to them vague, on the one hand, it is stated that under BSUP & IHSDP, loan assistance has been availed by HUDCO for about 40 schemes throughout the country, albeit not by UP, Bihar and Delhi Governments, yet, on the other, the occupancy position only in M.P. has been furnished as 98.82% under BSUP and 95.68% under IHSDP.

The reply does not clarify the position regarding other States apart from MP, where 40 schemes are operating with HUDCO loans. The Committee has further been informed that the reported 25% houses remaining unoccupied 'may' cover the status of all projects under BSUP and IHSDP.