M Venkaiah Naidu said the housing for all project is a challenging one. (File)
At least 20 lakh affordable houses for the poor in 4,720 cities and towns will be built under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna (Urban), Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said today. The housing programme was launched two years ago. The scale of
housing activity has picked up in the last three years, Mr Naidu said at a foundation ceremony for 1.09 lakh houses under the programme in Andhra Pradesh's Vijaywada town.
The United Progressive Alliance government had approved the construction of a little over 13 lakh houses during its 10-year rule, Mr Naidu said.
"If something done in 10 years by others could be achieved in just under three years, I think it is good enough evidence on ground of being a government with a difference," Mr Naidu was quoted as saying in a statement.
Mr Naidu called the goal of ensuring
housing for all by 2020 a "challenging task". He said he expected the political and administrative leaders in the states to take steps for meeting this goal.
"The central government has done all that it could do in the form of putting in place an enabling ecosystem and will fulfil its commitment of central assistance," he said.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu attended the event.