Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PM Awas Yojana) has once again become a big arena of politics in Chhattisgarh. This time the rhetoric was not limited to social media or the Assembly, rather former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and Deputy CM Vijay Sharma sat face to face in the Raipur Press Club. The issue was one – the houses of the poor. But as the figures came out, the debate turned into questions, allegations and heated arguments.
Vijay Sharma claimed that during the tenure of the BJP government, a large number of PM houses have been completed in Chhattisgarh and the state will be among the states that have constructed the highest number of houses in the country in 2025-26. On the other hand, Bhupesh Baghel, while keeping the statistics of his tenure, raised the issue of funds, portal and sanctioned houses from the Centre. The biggest question remained – what are the correct figures of PM residence in Chhattisgarh and which government's claims should be trusted?
The story started with the challenge of open debate
Political dispute was already going on regarding PM residence. Deputy CM Vijay Sharma had challenged former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel for an open debate. Baghel accepted the challenge and then a one-on-one debate was fixed between the two leaders at Raipur Press Club. In this debate which lasted for about 1 hour 20 minutes, both the leaders presented the figures of their respective tenures. But this was not just a battle of numbers. On one hand there was a question as to how many houses were sanctioned, on the other hand it was asked as to how many houses were actually completed. Then the matter reached the portal on which the data of PM's residence is recorded. From here the debate became more heated.
Vijay Sharma's claim- 17.75 lakh PM houses completed
In the debate, Deputy CM Vijay Sharma, citing the figures of the Central Government, claimed that 17 lakh 75 thousand PM houses have been completed in Chhattisgarh. He said that these data can be seen on the website of the Government of India. Vijay Sharma also claimed that in the financial year 2025-26, Chhattisgarh built the maximum number of PM residences in the country. That is, the direct argument of the BJP government is that during its tenure, not only were approvals given, but a large number of houses were actually completed.
Vijay Sharma's attack on Congress government- Approval granted, houses not completed?
Vijay Sharma also raised questions on the tenure of the previous Congress government. He claimed that during the five years of the Congress government, financial approval of about Rs 3,900 crore was given for PM housing, but only about 3 lakh houses could be completed. In comparison, he said that the BJP government spent about Rs 16 thousand crores in about two and a half years. This is where BJP's biggest political question arises – if there was approval and money for housing, then why were a large number of houses not completed?
Bhupesh Baghel said – About 7 lakh houses were approved during our tenure. Former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel responded to Vijay Sharma's claims with his own figures. He told that in 2018, 3 lakh 48 thousand 960 houses were sanctioned, out of which 1 lakh 39 thousand houses were completed. After this, the target was 1 lakh 97 thousand 811 houses in the financial year 2020-21 and according to them, 1 lakh 22 thousand houses were completed.
Baghel said that during the Corona epidemic, the economic condition of the states was bad and the government did not have enough money. He also claimed that his government had even taken loans from RBI for housing construction. The biggest question – was the PM Awas portal closed or not? Perhaps the most heated issue in the entire debate was seen on this issue.
Bhupesh Baghel alleged that the PM Awas portal was closed in 2022-23, due to which the plan was affected. He said that his government asked for its money from the Center and kept in constant correspondence in this regard. Vijay Sharma rejected this claim. He said that the portal was not closed and funds kept coming from the Center even during the Corona period. Now the question is, when was the portal actually closed, for how long did it remain closed and how much actual impact did it have on housing? This is the question which should be answered not from political statements but from government records and portal data.
Vijay Sharma's taunt – 'Ask Grok, he will tell you the truth'
During the debate, Vijay Sharma raised questions on Baghel's claims and also mentioned the old stand of former minister TS Singhdev. He said that in the then government it was said that houses would not be built due to lack of funds. Meanwhile, Vijay Sharma sarcastically said, 'Ask Grok, he will tell you the truth.' This comment also became part of the discussion during the debate.
However, the real question here is not about AI, but about the official government records. In a scheme like PM Awas, the ultimate truth will be those figures which can be verified from the relevant government records. Baghel's claim- 6.97 lakh houses were sanctioned by our government. Bhupesh Baghel said that based on the 2011 census, there were about 18 lakh houses left in the state. According to him, his government sanctioned about 6 lakh 97 thousand of these houses.
Baghel's argument was that merely saying that so many houses were not completed during his tenure does not tell the complete picture. According to him, it is also important to see how many houses were sanctioned, when the funds were received from the Center and under what circumstances the construction was affected. An important question arises from here – are both the leaders counting 'sanctioned', 'under construction' and 'completed' houses in the same way?
If not, then why is there such a big difference in the figures of both?
There are claims against each other on 18 lakh houses also. The figure of 18 lakh PM housing also came up in the debate. Bhupesh Baghel claimed that 18 lakh houses were sanctioned between September 25, 2023 and December 2024. Whereas Vijay Sharma mentioned the resolution of 18 lakh PM housing by the BJP government. This raises another question – are 'acceptance', 'resolution' and 'complete construction' being seen as different figures here? This difference can create the most confusion for common people. Vijay Sharma said – Center provided 10.42 lakh houses in 2024-25
Vijay Sharma also mentioned the figures for 2024-25.
According to him, the Central Government gave 10 lakh 42 thousand 797 houses, while the Chhattisgarh Government took 10 lakh 26 thousand 586 houses. He said that after the formation of BJP government at the Centre, a resolution was taken to build 2 crore houses and for this, installments were also released by the Centre. Vijay Sharma said that he has not come to do politics but to talk about statistics and if there is any deficiency then it can be rectified together.
Baghel's question- Then where did the talk of closure of the portal come from?
Baghel stuck to his claim that the PM residence portal had been closed. He said that if his claims are not believed then journalists and concerned people can see the records and decide for themselves who is right. This means that a major part of the debate has now moved beyond 'who built how many houses' to 'where does the data come from and what is recorded in the records'. 'You took the sigh of the poor, that's why the government went' – temperature increased in the debate
During the debate, sharp political allegations were also made between the two leaders.
Vijay Sharma targeted Baghel and alleged that the houses of the poor were affected during the Congress government. He even said that many people left this world while waiting to get a house. He also alleged that the then government did not put the information on the portal and later blamed the Centre. During the debate, Vijay Sharma also told Baghel that 'You took the sigh of the poor, that is why the government went.' This statement took the political debate from statistics to direct allegations and counter-allegations. Baghel said- The government did not even have money during Corona.
He said that the economic condition of the states was very bad during the pandemic. He claimed that the government was facing the challenge of even paying salaries and despite this, it had to take a loan from RBI for housing construction. Baghel said that the government's performance cannot be assessed only on the basis of the number of houses completed, ignoring the circumstances of that period.
Congress and BJP workers also clashed outside the Press Club
While debates were going on between the leaders inside, the political temperature also increased outside. Congress and BJP workers came face to face outside Raipur Press Club. Both sides raised slogans against each other. Congress workers accused the government of not providing PM housing to the poor, while BJP workers hit back over the figures of housing construction during the Congress government. In view of the situation, heavy police force was deployed on the spot.
The real question – did the poor get houses or did they become mere figures?
If we sum up the entire political debate in one line, then the question is very simple. Which government sanctioned how many PM houses, how much amount was released, how many houses remained under construction and how many houses did the poor families actually live in? Because on one side there is approval, on the other side there is funds, on the third side there is the start of construction and finally the completed house. If these four are considered to be the same data, then political rhetoric becomes easier, but the real picture of the ground may be hidden.
Now not just statement but records are needed at PM's residence
The debate at Raipur Press Club has made one thing clear – PM's residence in Chhattisgarh is no longer just a government scheme but has become a big political issue. BJP is claiming rapid housing construction during its tenure. Congress is putting forward the claims of sanctioned accommodation during its tenure, Corona conditions, correspondence with the Center and closure of the portal. But the final answer to this entire debate should not come from the statement of any leader or the answer of any AI, but from the official records of the Central and State Government. How many houses were approved? How many were completed? When did the money come? When did the portal close? And how many families are living in their permanent houses today?