Maharashtra government has released stringent instructions to achieve much-needed coordination among implementing agencies so that the construction of houses under the ambitious Prime Minister Awas Yojana (PMAY) will be put on a fast track. This was necessitated as state's physical progress under PMAY has been low compared to other states due to ''thick-skinned and insensitive'' implementing agencies. This is despite the government's decision to provide land at Rs 1 per sq mt to local bodies, Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) and government and semi-government agencies, 50% concession in fee charged for measurement of land and flat Rs 1,000 stamp duty to be recovered from the beneficiaries from the economically weaker sections (EWS). State housing secretary Sanjay Kumar has issued a three-page notification on July 15 with a call to implementing agencies to pull up socks and expedite the construction of homes under PMAY. A state housing department officer told DNA,'' The slow pace of construction of houses is due to the time taken by the local bodies to complete the validation process and eligibility verification of beneficiaries. Besides, the time taken to complete handing over of land and clear housing plan is longer. The department has issued instructions to avoid delays and thereby push the construction of houses.'' The implementation agencies will have to submit a proposal for government consent after due eligibility verification and data validation of beneficiaries. It will be mandatory for such agencies to upload attachment of beneficiary with data on MIS (management information system) portal without which the Centre would not release funds. Further, the implementing agencies will have to regularly upload information with regard to the management of physical and financial progress, entries of direct beneficiaries and geotagging on MIS portal. The implementing agencies will have to submit utility certificate and physical progress report on construction of homes at the time of filing of fund requirement from the Centre and the state government. The state government has set an ambitious target of construction of 19.40 lakh houses till 2022 under PMAY. Currently, 26 lakh citizens are registered. Between 2016-17 and July 2019, 11.38 lakh houses were sanctioned of which 2 lakh were constructed and some of them were handed over to the beneficiaries. Further, the construction of 3.4 lakh houses was under various stages.

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