To achieve the objective of "Housing for all by the year 2022", Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the restructured rural housing scheme, namely Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) on November 20, 2016, with the target of construction of 2.95 crore houses with all basic amenities by 2022.
According to a statement released by the Ministry of Rural Development, the selection of beneficiaries through a three-stage validation (Socio-Economic Caste Census 2011, Gram Sabha, and geo-tagging) has ensured the selection of the poorest of the poor under PMAY-G.
The department took various measures including IT/DBT to ensure smooth flow of fund to the beneficiaries account, use of new housing designs after studying local region-specific typologies, evidence-based monitoring through geo-tagged photos taken at all pre-determined stages of construction, transaction-based MIS, adequate provision of fund, training of rural masons etc., for timely completion of houses.
"All these measures ensured increased pace for construction of houses resulting in completion of 1.10 crore houses which includes houses to 1.46 lakh landless beneficiaries under Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G)," the ministry further said in the statement.
The increased pace of work has been reflected in the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP) study which indicated 114 days as average completion time for Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) as compared to 314 days earlier. The Ministry of Rural Development has also completed construction of around 72 lakh houses under Indira Awas Yojana totalling construction of 182 lakh houses since 2014.
PMAY-G also addresses the basic needs of households through convergence with various government programmes. The poor not only get a home but also get up to 90-95 days of work under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). Their homes are also provided electricity connection under the existing Ministry of Power schemes and LPG connection under Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Scheme besides the households' toilet under Swachh Bharat Mission / MGNREGS and tap connection under Jal Jeevan Mission.
Efforts have also been made to provide livelihood development and diversification opportunities to 1.82 crore rural households, under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM).
With the partnership with the states, the Ministry of Rural Development ensued confidence that with a large number of houses under different stages of completion and increased pace of completion of houses, it would be able to achieve the target of construction of 2.95 crore houses under PMAY-G by March 2022.
( With inputs from ANI )