August 9, 2021 Share: 2 years, 37 Lakh Homes: Still Counting under PMAY-Urban The Government on Wednesday said that they are working to boost affordable housing in the country by providing additional tax benefits of INR 1.5 lakh on home loans. Also, tax deduction of INR 2 Lakh for affordable housing, 100 percent deduction of tax on profits for construction of affordable housing projects under section 80-IBA of the Income tax Act till 31st March 2022 has also been levied, which will widen the scope of Section 80-IBA from 30-60 sq. meters in metro and 60-90 sq. meters in non-metro cities. They are also providing infrastructure status to affordable housing to enable cheaper loans. The Government is giving provision of reduction on GST on under-construction affordable housing projects from 8 to 1 percent without Input Tax Credit increase in priority sector lending from INR 28 lakh to 35 Lakh in metros and from INR 20 to 25 Lakh in Non-metros with setting up of Affordable Housing Fund in National Housing Bank. In a discussion in the Upper House Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) Kaushal Kishore said, ‘during the last two years, under the PMAY-U, 37.57 Lakh houses were sanctioned for EWS under three verticals in situ Slum Redevelopment Affordable Housing in Partnership (AHP) and Beneficiary Led individual house Construction or Enhancement (BLC) of which 28.99 lakh have been grounded for construction and 18.50 Lakh houses have been completed”.