AAP govt trying to create hurdles in PMAY(U) implementation in Delhi: Hardeep Puri

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Friday accused the AAP government of trying to create hurdles in implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) in Delhi and said its political approach is based on a "pack of lies". The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) dispensation has kept a survey for in-situ rehabilitation under the PMAY on hold for nearly a year on the pretext of changing the name of the central scheme, the housing and urban affairs minister alleged at a press conference.

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Hardeep Puri slams Kejriwal

Puri's allegations came three days after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal launched the Mukhyamantri Awas Yojana (MMAY) for Jhugi Jhopri (JJ) Clusters and distributed ownership certificates to 65,000 families living in the city's slum areas.

"He (Kejriwal) has prioritised his ego and the name of a scheme. He has sacrificed the scheme for his ego," the Union minister said, alleging that the "man (Kejriwal) is a flop".

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"If development is going to be based on the nomenclature of a scheme, you deprive your own people..." Puri said.

The Delhi government has created hurdles in every project, be it the construction of Metro Phase-IV or the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS), he alleged. Whenever there was talk on the construction of Metro Phase-IV, the AAP government tried to create hurdles, he said.

"Their (AAP) political approach is based on a pack of lies and the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), in-situ rehabilitation (one of the verticals of the PMAY) is a classic example," the Union minister said.

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Puri alleged that since the PMAY (Urban) was launched in June 2015, not a single proposal has been received from the AAP government. The Delhi Development Authority is the nodal agency for implementing in-situ slum rehabilitation of JJ Clusters residents on land owned by the DDA and the Centre, according to the ministry. The JJ Clusters is also one of the verticals of the PMAY.

In spite of the Delhi government's consent in January 2018 and receiving part payment of Rs 5.83 lakh in September 2018 for undertaking a survey of 23 priority JJ clusters identified for in-situ rehabilitation, the AAP dispensation did not complete the survey, delaying and depriving the JJ dwellers of benefits under PMAY(Urban) in Delhi, according to the ministry.

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On December 24, Kejriwal had launched the ''Mukhyamantri Aawas Yojana'' for the residents of JJ clusters and said the AAP government would provide a pucca house to every citizen of Delhi. He had said that 65,000 families residing in slum areas were distributed ownership certificates and they would soon be provided pucca houses. Speaking at the event, Kejriwal had also said in the last 70 years, no government has worked for the people of JJ clusters and these certificate would ensure that these slums would not be demolished.