Haryana Trails Punjab in PM Housing Scheme Implementation

Haryana has fallen behind neighbouring Punjab in implementing the Modi government’s flagship Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana–Urban (PMAY-U), which aims to provide affordable housing for all. Official data shows that Haryana has completed only 54.4 per cent of the houses sanctioned under the scheme, compared to 67.5 per cent completion in Punjab. The gap comes despite repeated claims by the state government led by Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini of steady progress. Of the 1,32,626 houses sanctioned in Haryana, just 72,257 have been completed so far, while 60,369 units remain under construction. In contrast, Punjab has completed 1,01,486 houses out of 1,50,130 sanctioned.

Officials attribute Haryana’s slower progress primarily to skyrocketing land prices in districts adjoining the National Capital Region (NCR). Areas like Gurugram, Faridabad, Panipat, and Sonepat have observed significant increments in property rates, making it an economically difficult task to deliver low-cost housing projects.

Except for land cost considerations, delays in administrative and implementation fronts are some factors that also impacted the process. Admitting that there are bottlenecks in various points such as landprocurement, approval in maps, and construction time, a senior government official said that Haryana has a construction capacity of 500-600 houses per month now, which is much lower compared to Punjab at 800-900 units per month.

Another key factor is lower state investment. Haryana has invested around ₹4,000–5,000 crore in the scheme, whereas Punjab’s contribution is estimated at ₹6,000–7,000 crore. Although both states receive equal Central assistance under PMAY-U, officials say the ₹2,000-crore gap in state funding has directly affected construction speed.

Punjab’s relatively faster implementation has been credited to efficient municipal bodies, better contractor availability, skilled labour, and clearer land ownership records in cities such as Amritsar, Ludhiana and Jalandhar.

Interestingly, both states have shown high efficiency in allotment. The state has allotted 72,241 of its 72,257 completed homes, thereby registering a 99.97 percent allotment rate, whereas Punjab has been able to allot 99.7 percent of its homes. 

On a national scale, the performance of PMAY-U is better with almost 79 percent completion levels. This has translated into the construction of over 96 lakh homes against a sanction of 1.22 crores. The contrast between the two states throws light on the areas in which the Haryana government needs improvement.