New Delhi: In a scathing report against the Urban Development Ministry of Union Government, a Parliamentary panel raised serious doubts about the competence of the ministry to fulfill the Central Government's ambitious housing programme for poor people of the country.

The report tabled in the recently concluded Monsoon Session of the Parliament sparks serious doubt about Prime Minister's dream project of 'housing for all by 2022'. 

After examining the action taken by the Government on an earlier standing committee report on Public Undertaking, the committee headed by senior BJP leader Shanta Kumar commented, "The Committee is hardly impressed about the extremely low reach of the (Hudco Niwas ) under which a mere 245 dwelling units were sanctioned in 2016-17. The spurt shown in loan amount is also 'bulk loan' and not 'individual' loan, which again reiterates the Committee's apprehension that the scheme is perhaps not performing well in providing retail loans for individuals."' 

They also said, "Unfortunately the performance of HUDCO's regional offices, as well as its newly developed software on the scheme, has also remained low, which according to the Ministry themselves, had suffered from limitations." 

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Criticising the ministry the committee said on the question of implementing the housing scheme in the municipal areas reply given by the housing ministry 'is vague'. With regard to occupancy of dwelling/housing units constructed with loan assistance given by HUDCO, the Committee in its earlier report had noted with concern that about 25% of the housing units constructed with the loan given by HUDCO under three schemes of JNNURM, BSUP, and IHSDP remain unoccupied. 

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