Suhail Bhat
SRINAGAR, Dec 6: Technical experts engaged in implementing ‘Housing for All” (HSA) under the Central Government’s flagship programme, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), have been suffering in the absence of salaries for the last eight months.
Approximately 68 professionals, encompassing project engineers, town planners, GIS specialists, and training coordinators, have been affected. Launched in 2015, PMAY aims to construct about two crore houses in seven years, benefiting the homeless, poor urban residents, and marginalised sections.
Despite pivotal role in securing the PMAY-Urban award at the “India Urban Housing Conclave 2022,” technical experts said that their efforts have gone unrewarded, with salaries withheld. “Authorities boast of awards but ignore those instrumental in achieving them,” an expert said.
Another technical expert expressed frustration, saying: “We are all trained professionals who have left lucrative jobs to serve our land, but the government’s behaviour has let us down. These degrees are useless if they cannot help us feed our families.”
According to the experts, there is a significant difference between the existing remuneration and the suggested salary structure. “Each CLTC expert has been assigned to two to four towns, and they are all working hard to carry out the assignment without being given the necessary resources, such as adequate infrastructure or trip reimbursements,” another expert said.
Shabir Ahmad Keen, Managing Director of J&K Housing Board, said that their salaries will be released soon as funds have been released by the Central Government. “Once the Finance department clears the file, salaries will be released,” he said. He added that though Jammu and Kashmir surpasses the national average, work remains to match top-performing states.
PMAY-U, led by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, addresses urban housing shortages, targeting EWS/LIG and MIG categories, including slum dwellers. In Jammu and Kashmir, 66,277 beneficiaries are identified, with an overall investment of Rs. 4024.81 crore, aiming for a pucca house for all eligible urban households by 2022, he added.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
