Cabinet greenlights extension of PM Awaas Yojna-Gramin, 2 Crore new homes to boost rural housing by 2029

According to a statement by the Ministry of Rural Development, the Cabinet approved the proposal of the Department of Rural Development on Friday for the implementation of PMAY-G during the fiscal years 2024-25 to 2028-29.

Under the approved scheme, the government will provide financial assistance for the construction of two crore additional houses at the existing unit assistance of Rs. 1.20 lakh in plain areas and Rs. 1.30 lakh in the North Eastern Region States, Hill States of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, and Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.

The Cabinet statement further added that the approved scheme is a continuation of the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) to saturate the Awaas+ (2018) list (after updating) and balance eligible households in the Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) 2011 Permanent Wait List (PWL) by providing assistance within an overall ceiling of two crore pucca houses with basic amenities from April 2024 to March 2029.

The government has allocated a total outlay of Rs. 3,06,137 crore for the fiscal years 2024-25 to 2028-29, including a Central Share of Rs. 2,05,856 crore and a State Matching Share of Rs. 1,00,281 crore.

The Cabinet also stated that the continuation of the scheme beyond March 2026 will be based on an evaluation of PMAY-G by the NITI Aayog and a re-appraisal of the scheme by the Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC). Additionally, the Awaas+ list will be updated to identify eligible rural households using modified exclusion criteria.

The government announced that administrative funds will be set at 2% of the program funds, with a bifurcation of the administrative funds as follows: 1.70% to be released to the States/UTs and 0.30% to be retained at the Central level.

This initiative will also support the completion of houses from the previous phase of PMAY-G as of March 31, 2024, during FY 2024-25 at the existing rates.

Furthermore, the government mentioned that the remaining 35 lakh houses not completed by March 31, 2024, would be finished to achieve the cumulative target of 2.95 crore houses from the previous phase.

The government's decision will facilitate the construction of two crore additional houses under PMAY-G over the next five years, from FY 2024-29, to address the housing needs that have arisen over the years. The construction of these houses is expected to benefit nearly 10 crore individuals.

This approval will enable all the houseless and those living in dilapidated and kutcha houses to build safe and secure homes with all basic amenities, ensuring the safety, hygiene, and social inclusiveness of the beneficiaries. (ANI)