New Delhi, Nov 22 (UNI) Union Minister for Urban Development, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation M Venkaiah Naidu today said the Centre had sanctioned construction of 12.84 lakh houses within a period of one year, which was more than the number of houses ordered to be constructed by the previous regime. While addressing the media here, Mr Naidu said that during the Congress-led UPA Government's 10-year period, only 12-lakh-40-thousand houses were ordered to be constructed. “Our Government has ordered to construct 12-lakh-84-thousand houses in just two-year period out of which one year was spent only in planning. So the net time taken by us is just one year,” Mr Venkaiah Naidu said. He also said, “All the houses would be constructed under new scheme, ‘Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana’, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.” The Minister said that these houses would be constructed all over the country. He also said that his department sent 15 letters to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister to send his proposal to construct houses under the scheme but he did not get any reply from the Chief Minister. “Getting no reply from UP Chief Minister, I personally called him and asked him to send the proposal in this regard,” said Mr Naidu. He also said that the states should initiate efforts at their own in the direction of sanitation, drinking water availability and power related issues and the Centre was ready to support them in that direction. UNI MKS JW SNU 1719