A closer look at the data of houses constructed across states shows Gujarat coming on top with a total of 54,474 houses constructed in the state over the four years. (Illustration: C R Sasikumar)

Amid complaints around bogus developers offering flats under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri told Parliament that the Centre was collecting information from states and Union territories on private builders allegedly indulging in forgery in the name of the affordable housing scheme. In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Puri said that various steps have been taken by the ministry to deal with complaints regarding bogus developers offering flats under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban). Responding to a query if private builders were indulging in forgery on a large scale under the housing scheme, he said: “The information is being collected from the state/UT governments.”

He further said that the ministry has not only issued public notice in major regional dailies cautioning people against possible fraud in the name of PMAY(U), but has also posted a disclaimer on its website intimating public that the government has not authorised any private entity to collect money for availing any benefit under the affordable housing scheme. Incidentally, under PMAY(U), the government offers benefits under various components to help people buy a house. The ministry targets to build around 1.2 crore houses for the urban poor.

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