BHUBANESWAR: The Housing and Urban Development Department has once again reprimanded the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) for not providing the required list of revenue villages for the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana–Urban 2.0 (PMAY-U 2.0). A reminder was issued, instructing the authority to submit the certified list “immediately.”
In the reminder, Joint Secretary Satish Chandra Singh noted that despite prior instructions on February 28, 2025, BDA failed to provide the list of villages certified by the Vice-Chairman in the required format. The department emphasized the need for BDA to prioritize this matter, citing that the delay has a direct impact on the city’s eligibility for new housing approvals under the scheme.
Due to BDA’s lack of action, thousands of families in Bhubaneswar’s fringe revenue villages face the risk of being excluded from housing benefits under PMAY-U 2.0.
The updated revenue village list is crucial for inclusion in the unified PMAY-U 2.0 portal, which determines eligibility for central assistance.
Nearly a year after the initial directive, BDA has yet to upload the certified list, leaving these residents outside the central housing scheme’s purview, while other urban local bodies (ULBs) in Odisha are advancing with new housing approvals.
An official from the Urban Development Department stated that the delay has already cost Bhubaneswar a spot in the newly-released list of ULBs, which proposed housing projects under PMAY-U 2.0. Unfortunately, Bhubaneswar—Odisha’s largest urban center—was excluded solely due to BDA’s failure to provide the required village details. “The matter is pending with the planning section, and once the draft list is ready, it will be reviewed at the estate level before being submitted to the government,” explained Manoj Kumar Swain, additional commissioner of BDA.
Last year, the Urban Development Department shared the required proforma with BDA, instructing it to complete the task within 7 days. Real estate expert Bimalendu Pradhan criticized the delay, emphasizing the significance of PMAY-U 2.0. “Given that PMAY-U 2.0 is a central scheme valid until 2030, losing an entire year due to administrative delays reflects a lack of seriousness,” he mentioned.
Pradhan pointed out that the first phase of PMAY-U, which ended in December 2025, brought substantial benefits to Bhubaneswar through various affordable housing projects. “With new proposals now under PMAY-U 2.0, it is essential to ensure Bhubaneswar does not miss out at this crucial stage. Timely submission of revenue village data is vital,” he added.
On Friday, the Odisha Urban Housing Mission (OUHM) gained approval for 75 new housing projects across 72 ULBs under the Beneficiary Led Construction (BLC) vertical of PMAY-U 2.0, leading to the construction of 6,871 housing units.
