Maiden Kochi Corporation council meeting witnesses heated political debate over PMAY-U project

The first resolution moved at the maiden meeting of the newly elected Kochi Corporation Council, seeking to relax the lock-in period of title deeds of houses built under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban (PMAY-U) before they are released to beneficiaries, descended into a heated political debate on Tuesday.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) criticised the State government for not signing the memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the implementation of PMAY-U 2.0, which saw the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the United Democratic Front (UDF) inadvertently uniting to oppose it. The resolution was moved by UDF councillor K.X. Francis, who lamented that the lock-in period of title deeds had been progressively extended from the initial five years to seven years, and now to 12 years, significantly restricting beneficiaries from using them to raise resources during emergencies, among other needs.

BJP councillor Priya Prashanth clarified that the extended lock-in period applied only to applications submitted after December 2024, while justifying the restriction as a deterrent against beneficiaries selling their houses on a whim. “While seeking to relax the lock-in period, the resolution may also urge the State government to sign the MoU for PMAY-U 2.0, under which the allocation has been increased to ₹6 lakh [from the existing ₹4 lakh],” she said.

Congress councillor M.G. Aristotle pressed Ms. Prashanth to explain why the MoU had not yet been signed. “The Centre’s insistence on differentiating houses built under PMAY with a colour code, thereby branding beneficiaries as poor and dependent on government aid, is disgraceful. Keralites, and no government in Kerala, will accept that,” he said, drawing staunch protests from BJP councillors.

LDF parliamentary party leader V.A. Sreejith asserted that the Chief Minister had made it clear that houses built under the scheme would not carry any such colour code or logo. Ms. Prashanth countered by pointing out that a board indicating government participation had been placed in front of the apartment complex at Mundamveli, where residents of the erstwhile P&T Colony were rehabilitated. Mr. Sreejith responded by asking what was wrong with acknowledging the State government’s involvement.

UDF councillor Henry Austin called for the resolution to include a demand to increase the allocation of funds under PMAY-U since the current allocation was hardly enough to construct a house of 650 sq.ft. or less.

Mayor V.K. Minimol said that the resolution may be considered passed with a request to implement PMAY-U 2.0 and to relax the lock-in period.