Center Asks Telangana Government To Return 190 CroreIn an unprecedented move, the Central Government has asked the Telangana Government to return 190 Crore which was given to the state in 2016-17 for building rural houses for the poor under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana after the state government has refused to update the Centre of its progress on implementing the scheme.

A target of building 70,674 houses was allotted to Telangana in 2016-17, and the first installment of Rs 190.78 cr was released to the state. The Center is not happy as the state is still to adopt the transparent criteria of PMAY-Grameen for allotment of houses and has not made any progress on AwaasSoft (an online portal where the progress has to be updated).

The State also did not seek the second installment of PMAY-G funds for 2016-17 till date, the minutes further mention. As per the ministry’s portal, Telangana has not made a single house under PMAY-G. The Center may reconsider its decision provided that Telangana can still provide it the official figures.