2.17 lakh houses constructed under JNNURM, Rajiv Awas Yojana remain vacant

Over two lakh houses, constructed under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) and Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY), have been lying vacant across the country, the government told the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.

The Centre is also advising the states and the Union Territories to expedite the allotment of vacant houses to the beneficiaries and submit plans for full occupancy, it added. "Construction and allotment of houses under JNNURM and RAY is responsibility of the states and UTs concerned. 2,17,953 houses constructed under JNNURM and RAY all over the country are lying vacant," Minister of State for Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation (HUPA) Rao Inderjit Singh said in a written reply.

Most of the houses that are vacant were constructed under the JNNURM scheme. Maharashtra accounted for the highest number vacant houses at 41,449 units, followed by Delhi (26,199), Gujarat (24,769), Andhra Pradesh (20,639), Telangana (17,982) and Uttar Pradesh (16,050). Singh said his ministry has been reviewing the matter of non-occupancy of the houses in various meetings.