Online forms for Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana may end

Mumbai: The Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (Mhada) is likely to suspend online applications for purchasing homes under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) after it came to the notice of Mhada officials that several people, in the name of the housing authority, were charging money to sell applications for PMAY.

Mhada has made it clear that it has not roped in any private consultant or company for carrying out any survey or helping it get applications. A senior Mhada official said, “The discussion to suspend the online application was proposed after it was found that many people have been selling PMAY forms in the name of Mhada, which could be damaging the housing authority’s image.”

Another Mhada official said, “No final decision on the same has been taken yet, but we may or may not consider the option of suspending the online applications. It would be unjust to suspend online applications just because a few people have been selling forms in our name. The people who want to genuinely apply would be deprived.” To be eligible for buying a house meant for economically weaker section (EWS) people under PMAY, an individual’s monthly family income should not be more than Rs 25,000. The EWS houses constructed under PMAY would measure around 322 square feet. Further, of the total cost of the house, buyers would get a subsidy of around Rs 2.5 lakh, with the Centre contributing Rs 1.5 lakh and the state contributing Rs 1 lakh towards this subsidy.

Till now, Mhada has received around 2.24 lakh applications for purchasing homes under PMAY, which are being constructed in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. PMAY replaced the Rajiv Gandhi Awas Yojana (RGAY) after the BJP government came to power in 2014. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched PMAY on June 25, 2015.