The sham has finally ended. Over a week after Pune-based real estate developer Maple Shelters waded into a controversy by claiming that it would build 10,000 houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana (PMAY), it said on Friday that it had erred in interpreting the provisions of the scheme.

On April 14, it had published an advertisement in newspapers, bearing even a picture of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, announcing the launch of its project. The advertisement sought applicants for a non-refundable fee of R1,000. The builder’s website also claimed that the project was aligned with the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.