New Delhi, February 9 Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, Manohar Lal, stated on Monday that the Centre will consider a proposal to conduct an inquiry into the non-allocation of approximately 48,000 flats constructed in the national capital for the poor under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).
Responding to a supplementary question during Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha, the minister stated that the flats in Delhi were constructed in 2012 under the JNNURM scheme, with the support of both the central and state governments.
Lal expressed his "astonishment" that these homes were not allocated to the poor by the then Delhi government under the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
He further stated that the conditions of the remaining flats, nearly 48,000 units, have deteriorated, and some are even uninhabitable.
The minister was responding to a question by Rajya Sabha Member Swati Maliwal, who stated that only 4,871 flats were allocated to the poor out of the total 52,344 flats constructed.
Maliwal accused the then AAP government in Delhi for not allocating these flats due to vote bank politics, as they wanted to take credit.
She asked the government whether they would initiate an inquiry to punish the guilty and also plans to repair these flats.
In response, the minister stated, "we will consider the suggestion (of the member) that those responsible should be punished."
Lal stated that the current BJP-led Delhi government has come forward to repair these homes, so that they can be allocated to the poor who are living in slums.
He added that the uninhabitable homes would be inspected, and subsequently demolished for reconstruction.