Latest StoriesRegulatory

CAG Flags Dual Benefit Issues in Gujarat Housing Schemes

AHMEDABAD: The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has identified instances where individuals received benefits from multiple housing schemes, contravening established guidelines. “According to PMAY-G guidelines, if a household is allocated a home under any government scheme, the gram sabha must remove that household from the system-generated priority list of eligible beneficiaries,” the report indicates. The audit revealed cases where some beneficiaries accessed funding from various housing schemes alongside PMAY-G. “In Jamnagar and Surat districts, 24 beneficiaries under PMAY-G were also sanctioned houses under PMAY-Urban,” the report detailed. “Among these 24 beneficiaries, seven received a total of ₹16.55 lakh under PMAY-U,…

Latest StoriesRegulatory

Madras HC Notifies Tamil Nadu on PIL for Hill Area Approvals

CHENNAI: An activist has approached the Madras High Court to contest a government order (GO) from the Tamil Nadu government. This order allows urban planning authorities to approve housing layouts in hilly areas and make land-use changes, sidestepping the essential clearance from the Hill Area Conservation Authority (HACA). The court admitted the plea on Wednesday, with the first bench comprising Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G Arul Murugan directing the state government to respond within four weeks. According to the petitioner, S. Muralidharan, the HACA was established in 1990 to safeguard ecologically sensitive hill regions from the effects…

InfrastructureLatest Stories

Minister: Over 250 Projects Finished in Kanpur in 9 Years

Representative AI image KANPUR: The Minister for Higher Education and in charge of Kanpur Nagar district, Yogendra Upadhyaya, announced on Wednesday that since 2017, approximately 252 development projects have been completed in the district, totaling an investment of around ₹1,503.89 crore. He highlighted that various sectors, including housing, sanitation, healthcare, education, and social security, have seen significant improvements. Under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, numerous homes have been built, while the Swachh Bharat Mission has enhanced sanitation by constructing millions of toilets. Discussing infrastructure advancements, the minister remarked that projects like the Kanpur Metro, Ring Road, thermal power developments, and…

IndustryLatest Stories

Lucknow to Launch OTS Scheme and Help Desk for Defaulters

LUCKNOW: The Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) will introduce its one-time settlement (OTS) scheme starting April 18 and will establish a dedicated help desk for applicants. This decision was made during a review meeting led by LDA vice-chairperson Prathamesh Kumar on Wednesday. A special OTS help desk will be available at the single-window counter on the ground floor of LDA headquarters. It will provide detailed information, guide applicants regarding eligibility, and help them complete the online application process. Under this scheme, applications will be resolved within three months of submission. Beneficiaries will receive a complete waiver of penal interest for the…

InfrastructureLatest Stories

34% of Karnataka’s 72 Lakh Homes Lack Tap Water: CAG

BENGALURU: Karnataka has not provided tap water connections to 24.5 lakh rural households—34% of the goal of 72.1 lakh—well past the March 2024 target, according to a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) presented in the legislative assembly on Tuesday. The audit, covering 2019 to 2024 in seven districts, highlighted deficiencies in planning, execution, financial management, and water quality monitoring, which undermine the mission’s goal of achieving Har Ghar Jal. At the state level, inconsistent departmental participation impacted synergy with initiatives like Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) and Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana. While some villages proposed…

IndustryLatest Stories

Maharashtra Decentralises Land Regularisation to Collectors

NAGPUR: On Wednesday, the Maharashtra legislature unanimously approved the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code (Second Amendment) Bill, 2026. This new legislation empowers district-level authorities to regularize most cases of land-use breaches. Introduced by Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, this amendment transitions from a centralized approach to a decentralized one, allowing collectors and divisional commissioners to manage nearly 90% of these cases at the local level. The change is anticipated to alleviate backlog, reduce bureaucratic hold-ups, and improve citizen access to administrative solutions. “Previously, even minor breaches were sent to the Mantralaya, overloading the secretariat and obligating citizens to make numerous trips to…

Latest StoriesResidential

Telangana to Reallocate 12,000 Vacant 2BHK Houses

HYDERABAD: Housing Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy announced on Wednesday that the government is addressing the issue of vacant 2BHK housing units, especially those situated far from beneficiaries’ homes. Within the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits, approximately 92,000 2BHK houses have been approved by the BRS government. Out of these, around 61,000 are completed, while 21,838 are still under construction. Before the 2023 assembly elections, the government allotted 23,500 houses, but 12,000 remain unoccupied, primarily in Hyderabad, Sangareddy, Medchal, and Rangareddy districts. During the assembly’s question hour, the minister revealed that notices had been sent to beneficiaries, instructing them to…

IndustryLatest Stories

Chandigarh Faces Dilemma: Land Pooling vs. Acquisition Policy

Here’s a rewritten version of the provided content: CHANDIGARH: The Chandigarh administration finds itself in a complex situation, balancing increasing pressure from the Centre to optimize limited urban land with ongoing demands from farmers and internal planning challenges regarding the future development of the UT’s remaining peripheral villages. On one hand, there’s a push for farmer-friendly initiatives; on the other, financial constraints and a commitment to the Chandigarh Master Plan-2031 are urging a return to traditional outright land acquisition methods. Large swathes of agricultural land near 22 periphery villages remain undeveloped. Land pooling, once viewed as a collaborative alternative, has…

Latest StoriesResidential

Ludhiana: 1,500+ Compete for LIT’s Atal Apartment Scheme

LUDHIANA: The Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT) has seen strong interest from residents for the remaining 179 flats under the Atal Apartment Scheme. The draw is scheduled to take place around April 14, and officials have posted the final list of applicants on the LIT website. Some applicants, however, have been asked to submit pending documents. The LIT received approximately 1,539 applications for the remaining flats—973 from the middle-income group and 566 from the high-income group. Among these, the available flats include 43 high-income group and 136 middle-income group units. Applicants are optimistic that the construction will be completed on time,…

Latest StoriesResidential

Ghaziabad Residents Face 12% Penalty Fear Over Tax Dues

NOIDA: As the current financial year approaches its end, consumers are facing confusion regarding property tax obligations. Mayor Sunita Dayal claims the recent property tax hike has been reversed, while officials from the GMC assert that no such decision has been made. The mayor’s office insists that property taxes will return to their pre-April 1, 2025 levels. Meanwhile, consumers who have not settled their taxes are worried about facing a 12% penalty on their outstanding property tax dues after March 31. Raj Shekhar, a resident of Kavinagar, expressed frustration, stating, “This issue has been ongoing for a year. The mayor…