BHOPAL: Residents benefiting from the Housing for All multistorey project at 12 Number Stop in BMC Ward 49 have voiced strong dissatisfaction regarding the delays in receiving their flats.
During a Tuesday inspection, Mayor Malti Rai was confronted with pressing questions from the residents, who demanded to know when they would finally take possession of their homes.
Beneficiaries claimed they had booked their flats years ago and made advance payments, yet have not received possession. Additional complaints included issues of waterlogging during the rains and substandard construction quality. One beneficiary blocked Rai’s path, stating he could no longer wait after anticipating possession since January.
Rai attributed the holdup to delayed approvals from RERA (Real Estate Regulatory Authority), causing progress to stall. However, she assured that with the necessary permissions now in place, construction is picking up speed, and all allotted homes will be delivered by May 2026. She recognized the financial strain on residents, who are managing both loan payments and rent, and instructed officials to expedite the process.
Launched in 2017 under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana near the 12 Number bus stop, the project was expected to be completed within two years, comprising 216 MIG, 576 LIG, and 1,008 EWS flats. Eight years later, many beneficiaries are still left waiting, despite ongoing protests. While some houses have been allotted, most remain unfinished.
Frustration over real estate projects has been building for some time. A recent MP RERA report indicated that Bhopal is losing realty projects to Ujjain, a holy city. According to a TOI report published on December 15, 2025, several major realty projects in the state are being redirected to Ujjain, suggesting a potential trend of urbanization or favoritism by successive governments. The number of realty projects in Ujjain has doubled in the past two years, surpassing Bhopal in new projects for the 2024-25 period.
However, the claim of growing urbanization is called into question by the RERA report, which reveals that 22 districts in Madhya Pradesh registered fewer than 10 realty projects.
