Kumar Bahukhandi
A completed house under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana–Urban in Chhattisgarh. The state will receive the ‘Best Performing State’ honour for PMAY-U implementation at the World Habitat Day 2026 national programme at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, on October 5. Photo: PMAY-U/Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India.
National recognition for implementation of the urban housing mission; Principal Secretary Sonmoni Borah to receive the honour at World Habitat Day 2026 programme
Key Highlights
- Chhattisgarh to be honoured as a ‘Best Performing State’ for implementation of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana–Urban.
- Award to be presented at the national World Habitat Day programme at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, on October 5.
- Deputy Chief Minister and Urban Administration Minister Arun Sao will attend the programme.
- Principal Secretary, Urban Administration and Development, Sonmoni Borah will receive the award on behalf of Chhattisgarh.
- Timely construction, completion and delivery of houses to beneficiaries are among the key performance parameters.
NEW DELHI: Chhattisgarh is set to receive national recognition for its performance in implementing the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana–Urban (PMAY-U), with the state selected for the ‘Best Performing State’ Award at the World Habitat Day 2026 national programme in New Delhi.
The honour will be presented on October 5 at Vigyan Bhawan, where states, Union Territories, urban local bodies and institutions demonstrating notable performance under PMAY-U and PMAY-U 2.0 will be recognised.
Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao, who also holds the Urban Administration and Development portfolio, will participate in the programme. Principal Secretary, Urban Administration and Development, Sonmoni Borah will receive the award on behalf of the state. The department’s official portal confirms Sao’s ministerial responsibility and Borah’s position as Principal Secretary.
The national programme will be held in the presence of Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal. The recognition places the spotlight on Chhattisgarh’s implementation of the Centre’s flagship urban housing programme, which seeks to expand access to permanent and affordable housing for eligible urban families.
Housing Delivery at the Centre of Recognition
Performance under PMAY-U is measured not merely by the sanctioning of houses but also by progress on the ground, completion of construction, delivery and occupation of homes and the overall effectiveness with which the programme reaches intended beneficiaries.
Available national data underline the scale of PMAY-U implementation in Chhattisgarh. Parliamentary data for March 2026 recorded 2,81,111 sanctioned houses in the state, 2,80,776 grounded, 2,61,808 completed and 2,48,096 occupied/delivered under PMAY-U.
A later analysis based on January 2026 figures put Chhattisgarh’s completion level at about 87 per cent of its estimated urban housing requirement, reflecting substantial progress in converting housing approvals into completed homes
The official PMAY-U portal also documents the programme’s impact at the beneficiary level in Chhattisgarh, including completed houses and beneficiaries from the state recognised for house construction.
From Housing Scheme to Urban Development
The award is significant because PMAY-U has implications extending beyond the construction of dwelling units. A permanent house can provide families with greater residential security and access to basic urban infrastructure while bringing economically weaker households more firmly within planned urban development.
For the state government and urban local bodies, implementation involves beneficiary identification, approvals, construction monitoring, coordination among agencies and ensuring that completed houses ultimately reach eligible families.
The national recognition therefore reflects the combined role of the Urban Administration and Development Department, urban local bodies, field-level officials and beneficiaries in translating the housing programme into completed homes.
The first phase of PMAY-U has been followed by PMAY-U 2.0, extending the policy focus on affordable urban housing and addressing the housing requirements of eligible families in cities and towns.
World Habitat Day Adds Wider Significance
The presentation of the award on World Habitat Day gives the recognition a wider context. The observance focuses international attention on adequate housing, sustainable settlements and the future of cities.
UN-Habitat lists World Habitat Day 2026 on October 5, with the global observance taking place in Muscat, Oman. The New Delhi programme will bring together senior officials of the Centre and states, representatives from across the country and participants associated with national and international institutions.
For Chhattisgarh, the award is both recognition of the work already undertaken and an expectation that momentum in urban housing delivery will continue as PMAY-U 2.0 progresses.
