India, March 13 -- Reduction of budgetary allocations for housing and urban affairs to 1.6% of the total budget estimate (BE) this year (BE 2026-27), the lowest in five years, and the massive downward revisions at the Revised Estimate (RE) stage of 40% reduction in 2025-26 were flagged by the department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee in its report presented in Parliament on Thursday.

It said that while the total central government outlay has steadily increased, the ministry's relative share has dropped despite increasing urbanisation and rising demand for housing, water supply, sanitation and urban transport.

The committee, headed by Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MP Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy, also flagged a systemic mismatch betwe...