PM launches Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (Rural Housing Scheme)

Prime Minister Modi has launched the government’s flagship housing scheme ‘Pradhan Mantri Gramin Awas Yojana (PMAY-G)’ in Agra.

PMAY-G is an ambitious housing scheme meant for rural poor.

In March 2016, the Union Cabinet had approved to replace the existing Indira Awas Yojana with Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Gramin as a part of ‘Housing for All’ by 2022 mission.

Under this scheme, financial assistance is provided for construction of dwelling units and upgradations of existing unserviceable kutcha houses for Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes and non-SC/ST rural families living below the poverty line in rural areas. A minimum of 60 percent of the funds under the scheme is earmarked for assistance to SC/ST families living below the poverty line. Under this scheme, the unit assistance is Rs. 1,20,000 in plain areas and to Rs. 1,30,000 in hilly states/difficult areas /IAP districts.

The expenditure involved in implementing the project over a span of 3 years from 2016-17 to 2018-19 would be Rs.81975 crore. It is expected to provide assistance to one crore households for construction of pucca house during the period from 2016-17 to 2018-19. The scheme would be implemented throughout the country in rural areas except for Delhi and Chandigarh. The cost of houses would be shared between Centre and States.

The new houses will be equipped with PM Ujjwala Yojana.

Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana provides LPG connections without security deposit to 50 million women from BPL households over the next three years. The scheme is partly funded by the money saved from 1.13 crore voluntary surrender of cooking gas subsidies under PM’s ‘Give It Up’ initiative. The tagline for the scheme is Swachh Indhan, Behtar Jeevan.