Union Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced a relaxation in eligibility criteria under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY). Previously, 6,36,089 houses had been allocated to the homeless in Maharashtra, but many poor families were unable to qualify due to stringent requirements. With the revised norms, Maharashtra will now receive a total of 20 lakh houses this year, including an additional 13,29,678 homes to address the housing needs of the underprivileged.
He made the announcement while addressing a conference organized by the Institute of Agricultural Technology Application in Pune, on the occasion of Kisan Samman Diwas. The event was attended by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil, Principal Secretary of the Rural Development Department Eknath Davle, Vice-Chancellor of Punjabrao Deshmukh Agricultural University Dr. Sharad Gadakh, and institute director K. Roy.
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The eligibility criteria for the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana have been revised to benefit more families. Previously, people owning phones or two-wheelers were excluded from the scheme, but they are now eligible for housing benefits. Additionally, the monthly income cap for families has been raised from Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000. Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan also announced that the scheme has been extended to include farmers owning up to five acres of dry land or 2.5 acres of horticulture land.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis hailed the revised Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana as a major gift for Maharashtra. He highlighted that no other state in the country has received such a large number of houses under the scheme. With 26 lakh people registered in the state, many of the 20 lakh allocated houses will be provided this year. "With the changes in eligibility criteria, more people will benefit from the scheme in the coming year," Fadnavis said.