Housing For All By 2022 –‘No Harm In The Vision'

The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana or the Housing for All 2022 scheme launched by the Narendra Modi government aims to provide housing for all by 2022. D.B. Gupta, former consultant to the Planning Commission of India; Amrit Abhijat, Joint Secretary, Urban Development Ministry; Jyoti Parikh, former advisor to former PM Manmohan Singh; Prashant Kumar, Joint Secretary, Rural Development Ministry; and Sudhir Krishna, former Secretary, Urban Development Ministry discuss ways to overcome hurdles and why it would be possible to achieve the target

​​​​​EVER SINCE INDIA GAINED its Independence, ensuring roti, kapda and makaan for all has been a key objective across governments. The UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights says everyone has a fundamental right to adequate housing and government’s have to ensure that citizens can exercise this right to live in security, peace and dignity. Through the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana or the Housing for All 2022 Scheme, the Modi government is working towards providing affordable housing to the urban poor by 2022. BW Businessworld hosted a round table where experts and stakeholders discussed the deliverability of this mission. Edited excerpts:

How practical is the goal of housing for all by 2022?

SUDHIR KRISHNA: Housing is a fundamental need, be it for a family or an individual. So ‘housing for all’ is a desirable objective and goal. It has to be pursued with all sincerity and using all methods — technology, governance framework, planning and whatever is required.

AMRIT ABHIJAT: It is a vision that we have to realise. Given the fact that there is migration, there is growth, the demand will always keep coming. The vision has to be realised in a manner that we have to fulfil the housing shortage. We are confident that we would be able to both pursue and achieve the goal.

PRASHANT KUMAR: It is highly desirable because ultimately housing is one among the three basic needs and it needs to be fulfilled especially since the people in the rural areas may not be economically well off. So, government assistance is required and that is why we are here to fulfil the goal of ‘housing for all’ by 2022.