BHOPAL: The ambitious 'housing for all' plans announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June 2015 is facing hiccups in Madhya Pradesh where 24 lakh families are still homeless, and more than 26,000 houses constructed under various schemes are lying unoccupied for the last two years. Across 74 cities in the state, these vacant houses are turning into ruins.

In Madhya Pradesh, the state government has focused on rural and urban housing projects through various schemes. Of these, the PM Awas Yojana (PMAY), under which the government sanctions funds to those in rural areas to construct their own house (by 2022 nobody should be homeless, was the prime minister's assertion), has been left in the lurch due to non-payment of the second instalment.

"The government sanctions Rs 75,000 to Rs 1.20 lakh to an individual to build a two-room house and a toilet. But that is inadequate. It takes at least Rs 3 to 3.5 lakh for a single unit of which half of the amount is contributed by the beneficiary," a senior officer of the rural development department said.

In 2014-15, the state government approved construction of 1.10 lakh houses. About 96,000 families were given Rs 35,000 as the first instalment for construction and repairs. To avail the scheme, 8,000 people destroyed their temporary huts to build a pucca house, but could not get funds to complete the job. Districts like Alirajpur, Ashok Nagar, Balaghat, Chhatarpur, Damoh, Katini, Morena, Shajapur, Sidhi and Singrauli were worst affected as large number of beneficiaries turned homeless.

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"Most of the uninhabited buildings have become the target of thieves -- who have stolen furnishings and sanitary fittings. Repairing of these will cost more to the occupant," said a local beneficiary.

The houses were constructed two to three years back under the Indira Awas Yojana and JNNURM (Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission). On allotment plans for the vacant houses, state Urban Development Minister Maya Singh said, "There were some houses left unoccupied and we are preparing a list to allot them to the beneficiaries as early as possible." On the number of vacant houses, Singh said, "I am not aware of the total number of vacant houses at present."