New Delhi, Nov 18 (IANS) Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal on Monday hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for bringing the PMAY scheme for the people to make their dream of owning a pucca house true.

He also inaugurated a national workshop on Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Urban 2.0 (PMAY-U 2.0), organised by the ministry in partnership with Housing and Urban Development Corporation Ltd (HUDCO).

The minister highlighted features of the PMAY-U 2.0 scheme, its impact on the economy and allied sectors and the potential to create more than 3 crore estimated employment opportunities.

He emphasised on effective implementation of PMAY-U 2.0 and responsive governance so that the benefits reach the last mile, impacting every eligible family positively.

Manohar Lal said, “Everyone dreams of having a home, and your own house brings a lot of happiness in your lives. The Prime Minister brought the PMAY scheme for the people to make their dream of owning a pucca house a reality. I salute the Prime Minister for this visionary scheme to transform the lives of people.”

The event was attended by Kuldip Narayan, Joint Secretary and Mission Director (JS&MD), Housing for All (HFA), Sanjay Kulshrestha, Chairman and Managing Director, HUDCO, and senior officials of the ministry. Principal Secretaries and Secretaries of different States/UTs, PMAY-U Mission Directors of States/UTs also participated in the workshop.

The minister said that States/UTs have played a pivotal role in the successful implementation of PMAY-U. He added that their tireless efforts are also required in the implementation of PMAY-U 2.0.

The workshop, around the theme of implementation of PMAY-U 2.0, saw the participation of more than 250 officials and various stakeholders related to the affordable housing sector.

The objective of this workshop was to disseminate PMAY-U 2.0, its approach, and methodologies and effectively articulate the roadmap for the scheme’s implementation across the urban areas of the country.

The national workshop fostered knowledge exchange, provided a common platform for all stakeholders to come together and network for effective and smooth implementation of PMAY-U 2.0 and encouraged the dissemination of best practices adopted by States/UTs, paving the way for a more robust, sustainable and inclusive affordable housing ecosystem in India.

PMAY-U 2.0 is currently in the implementation phase with more than 25 States/UTs having signed the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with MoHUA.

Officials from States/UTs exchanged the MoAs with the ministry in the presence of the Union Minister. It marked a significant step towards ensuring the successful implementation of the scheme to provide affordable housing to people.