The Housing and Urban Development Department in Odisha is set to undertake the construction of more than 48,000 houses that remained unfinished under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana–Urban (PMAY-U) after the central scheme's official deadline concluded on December 31, 2025. This move follows a crucial communication from the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, which has clarified that no further central financial assistance will be provided for these projects.
Central Directive and Funding Clarification
In its communication to the state, the Union ministry reiterated that PMAY-U was launched on June 25, 2015, with the primary objective of providing durable, all-weather pucca houses equipped with basic amenities to eligible urban beneficiaries across India. The implementation period of the scheme, initially set until March 31, 2022, was later extended to December 31, 2025, specifically to complete already sanctioned houses. The ministry emphasized that this extension did not alter the original funding pattern or implementation methodology.
The central government made it explicitly clear that the scheme period has now ended. No central assistance will be available to states and Union Territories after the December 31, 2025 deadline. Consequently, any remaining financial liabilities for completing the sanctioned houses must be borne entirely by the respective state governments using their own resources.
National and State-Level Progress
Providing a nationwide overview, the ministry stated that under PMAY-U, a total of 111.62 lakh houses were sanctioned across the country. Out of these, a significant portion—69.75 lakh houses—fell under the Beneficiary-Led Construction (BLC) vertical. To date, the completion figure stands at 54.65 lakh houses nationwide.
Focusing on Odisha, the central government had approved 1.84 lakh houses under PMAY-U for the urban poor. The state has successfully completed 1.36 lakh houses so far. The remaining 48,000 houses are in various stages of construction and now require state intervention for completion. The state's success rate under the scheme is reported to be approximately 73%.
State's Response and Future Steps
Following the directive from the Centre, Subhananda Mohapatra, the Mission Director of the Odisha Urban Housing Mission, has instructed all municipal commissioners and executive officers to strictly adhere to the new guidelines. A key instruction is that no funds from the central assistance are to be released to beneficiaries for "non-starter houses" under the BLC vertical where the first installment was never disbursed.
Odisha has previously accelerated the construction of PMAY-U houses through initiatives like the '100 Days Challenge' launched in 2023. The state government is now tasked with mobilizing its own resources to ensure the completion of the pending 48,000 units, fulfilling the housing promise made to its urban beneficiaries despite the conclusion of the central scheme's support window.
