Ahmedabad: The administration has been building and providing affordable housing for economically weaker sections under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) and Mukhyamantri Awas Yojana. However, several beneficiaries have been found renting out or selling their allotted homes in violation of scheme rules. In response, the Housing Cell within the Estate Department of the Amdavad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has issued notices to 174 such individuals and sealed 21 houses.

Mukesh Patel, Chairman of the AMC Housing and Improvement Committee, said, “A review meeting was held regarding EWS (Economically Weaker Section) housing. We found that some beneficiaries of the PMAY and CMAY schemes had either rented out or sold their homes illegally. Following an investigation, our team inspected 3,940 houses across various government housing schemes in the city. So far, 174 residents have been served notices, and clarifications have been sought from them. If the explanations are not satisfactory, further action, including sealing of the premises, will be taken.”

Patel added that 21 houses were sealed during recent inspections. “In several cases, the original beneficiaries lock the houses and leave, making it difficult to identify the current occupants. To address this, inspection teams have been formed in each zone to conduct simultaneous checks across housing colonies.”

Zone-wise action details show that 98 notices were issued in the North Zone, with four houses sealed. In the South Zone, five houses were sealed. The West Zone saw nine notices and seven seals, while the Central Zone recorded 36 notices and three house seals.

It is worth noting that, under the terms of these housing schemes, beneficiaries are barred from renting out or transferring ownership of the homes for seven years. Despite this, a large number of houses have been found either rented out or transferred illegally. DeshGujarat