Consequent to the decisions taken in the Cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will personally hand over sanctions letters to about 10 lakh beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) in Odisha, said Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. On this occasion, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also make a direct fund transfer of the first instalment, estimated at around Rs 3,180 crore, into the bank accounts of the beneficiaries through a digital transfer.
Under PMAY-G is the flagship mission for the “Housing for All” by 2024. The scheme focuses on the delivery of 2.95 crore pucca houses with basic amenities to all homeless families, focusing primarily on families dwelling in kutcha or dilapidated houses in rural India. Also included in this undertaking is the launching of an application called “Awas Plus 24” through which all qualified beneficiaries will be included in the list for the allotment of pucca houses.
Sanction Letters and Financial Transfers Disbursed
For him, it would be the first time in Odisha where he would be giving sanctions to around 10 lakh beneficiaries along with the first instalment of funds under the PMAY-G scheme. The rural development ministry said that Odisha has received a target of building 22,572 homes for this fiscal year and has already released Rs 41.32 crore to help the state achieve its housing targets.
The “Awas Plus 24” app is being launched with the objective of making the process even more transparent and including the eligible beneficiaries in the list of those who are entitled for a pucca house. The digital platform is expected to smoothen up the process of house allotment, which will ensure effective implementation of the PMAY-G scheme in rural areas.
Accent on Jharkhand-Gujarat Glimpses
This includes an event scheduled for holding in Odisha, followed by the handover of sanction letters and financial transfer in Jharkhand and Gujarat.
The prime minister will hand sanction letters to around 20,000 beneficiaries in the state on September 15 during the event to be held in Jamshedpur. The direct benefit of more than Rs 5 crore will be transferred to the bank accounts of beneficiaries in the state. For the current financial year, a target of constructing 1,13,195 houses has been given to the state under the PMAY-G, and Rs 187.79 crore has already been released in support of these efforts.
The prime minister will visit an event in Gujarat on September 16 when Rs 93 crore will be transferred to the bank accounts of around 31,000 PMAY-G beneficiaries. Gujarat plans to complete 54,135 houses this financial year. However, Rs 99.1 crore has already been disbursed so that homes can be built for the rural families.
PMAY-G: A Gateway to Housing for All
The scheme, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin, or PMAY-G, through which the Union government aimed at making all homeless families in rural settings at least receive a pucca house by 2024. Each house was constructed with basic amenities such as availability of water, sanitation, and electricity-in-convergence with other government schemes.
Under this scheme, not only is the beneficiary given financial assistance to construct their house, but also 90-95 days of wages are provided under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. At the same time, the scheme is interlinked with some other welfare schemes like Swachh Bharat Mission and Ujjwala Yojana, which will provide sanitation facilities and clean cooking fuel, respectively.
Major inclusions are solar rooftops in the PMAY-G homes, where the free electricity scheme under the Prime Minister’s Surya Ghar Free Electricity Scheme would be implemented and in place within the next five years. There would be an initiative on the part of the government to provide solar power as part of its bigger initiative for promoting clean energy and reducing the household electricity charges of families residing in rural areas.
Empowering Women through PMAY-G
The PMAY-G scheme aims not only at the creation of housing but also at empowering women in rural societies. The females belonging to families covered under the PMAY-G scheme are being encouraged to register themselves under SHGs organized under NRLM. Under NRLM, these SHGs can work as a means of earning for these women and help raise their household income and integrate into the economy of the neighborhood. The long-term goal included by the PMAY-G in the overall outline for economic integration is to integrate women into the framework of the economy.
A Radical Rural Development Strategy
PMAY-G is in fact much more than a housing scheme-alone but part of a holistic approach for the development of the rural areas. Merging the housing support with other schemes, such as MGNREGA or employment and availability of clean water and sanitation, will be integrating different welfare schemes in addition to housing support from the government, which hopes to enhance life quality among the rural people along with uplifting the local economy.
The Odisha, Jharkhand, and Gujarat events that are lined up will continue to bring the government’s commitment to PMAY-G towards the fulfillment of the “Housing for All” objective. These initiatives will ensure not only homes but also livelihood support, employment, and access to clean energy to families in rural India toward reinforcement of the push of inclusive development.
Conclusion
Some of the highpoints include the distribution of sanction letters to PMAY-G beneficiaries and the rollout of the application “Awas Plus 24”. Aiming for almost 3 crore pucca houses by 2024, PMAY-G will continue with efforts to reduce homelessness and improve rural living conditions.
The event in Odisha, Jharkhand, and Gujarat is a result of the constant pursuit of the government in rural development and direct provision of financial support from the government to the beneficiaries so that they complete their houses within time. The integration of other welfare schemes with women’s economic participation makes PMAY-G a driving force for an inclusive and sustainable future of India’s rural population.
Source: Ministry of Rural Development.