Thiruvananthapuram | Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday criticised the UDF government's decision to implement the second phase of PMAY (Urban), alleging it would reduce housing assistance from Rs 4 lakh to Rs 3 lakh.
The state Cabinet recently approved the implementation of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban 2.0 in Kerala based on the prescribed eligibility criteria.
In a Facebook post, Vijayan said the UDF government's decision to implement PMAY (Urban) 2.0 by accepting the Centre's conditions would undermine the 'Life Mission' project, which provided homes to homeless families to live with dignity.
"The decision of the UDF government to destroy the 'Life' project, which provided homes for the homeless to live with dignity, and to bow before the anti-people conditions of the Centre cannot be accepted," he said.
Vijayan said the LDF government had implemented the housing scheme without requiring any contribution from beneficiaries, but the UDF government had overturned the arrangement through a Cabinet decision in the name of implementing the second phase of PMAY (Urban).
Under the existing Life-PMAY (Urban) scheme, Rs 4 lakh was sanctioned for each house, including a central share of Rs 1.5 lakh, Vijayan said.
Beneficiaries were not required to contribute, while the remaining Rs 2.5 lakh was provided jointly by the state government and local self-government institutions, he said.
Under the new arrangement, the contribution of local self-government institutions had been reduced, and beneficiaries would have to bear 25 per cent of the project cost, or Rs 1 lakh, Vijayan said.
"In effect, the Rs 4 lakh provided under Life is being reduced to Rs 3 lakh," he said.
He alleged that the state government had also yielded to the Centre's insistence on displaying its logo and emblem on houses built for poor beneficiaries, despite the Centre providing only Rs 1.5 lakh as assistance.
"Instead of opposing the Centre's position that hurts the dignity of beneficiaries, this action of supporting it is the height of subservience," he said.
Vijayan described the state government's argument that the decision was taken to avoid losing Rs 450 crore in central assistance as "ridiculous".
He said more than five lakh houses had been completed under the Life Mission during the LDF government's tenure, of which 3.72 lakh were built entirely with contributions from the state government and local governments.
He said 93,600 houses had received central assistance of Rs 1.5 lakh each under PMAY (Urban), while 34,600 houses constructed under PMAY (Rural) had received central assistance of Rs 72,000 each.
In both categories, the remaining amount required to provide the Rs 4 lakh assistance was borne entirely by the state government and local self-government institutions, he said.
"What was the circumstance that necessitated sabotaging this model successfully implemented by the LDF government?" Vijayan asked.
He said attempts had earlier been made to impose the Centre's logo on houses built with assistance under PMAY (Urban) and PMAY (Rural), but the LDF government had firmly refused to accept the demand.
However, the UDF government had now yielded to the Centre's directive under PMAY (Urban), he alleged.
Vijayan demanded that the order imposing the additional financial burden on beneficiaries be withdrawn.
