Blitz Bureau
TO achieve the objective of ‘Housing for All’ in rural areas, the Ministry of Rural Development has been implementing Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana- Gramin (PMAYG) since April 1, 2016 to provide assistance to 4.95 crore eligible rural households with basic amenities.
As on February 2 this year, a cumulative target of 3.79 crore houses has been allotted to states and UTs, out of which 3.34 crore houses have been sanctioned and 2.69 crore completed. This information was given by Minister of State for Rural Development Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on February 7.
The Union Cabinet, he said, has approved the proposal for ‘Implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Awaas YojanaGramin (PMAY-G) during FY 2024-25 to 2028-29’ for construction of additional 2 crore houses. The ministry has allocated targets of 84,37,139 houses during 2024-25 to 18 states, which include Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka.
Out of 84,37,139 houses, a target of 46,56,765 houses has been allocated in the months of December,2024 and January 2025 to nine states : Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka. Out of the target of 84,37,139 houses,39,82,764 houses have been sanctioned as on February 2.
Positive impact
The PMAY-G scheme has had a significant positive impact on rural India by improving access to affordable housing and played a key role in transforming the rural housing landscape, reducing poverty, improving living standards, and fostering social and economic development in rural India. The scheme has also been evaluated through various Independent institutes such as the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy, Niti Aayog, and the National Institute of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj, etc.
PMAY-G is monitored very closely at all levels. There is a special emphasis on quality and timely completion of construction. The details of the monitoring mechanism adopted under the scheme are as follows:-
All data regarding beneficiaries, the progress of construction, and the release of funds, including photographs and inspection reports are placed on AwaasSoft and this forms the basis for follow-up of both the financial and physical progress of the scheme.
The physical progress of construction of a PMAY-G house is monitored through the geo-tagged, time and date-stamped photographs to be uploaded at every stage of construction and upon completion.
National-level monitors and officers of the ministry also visit PMAY-G houses during the field visits to assess the progress and the procedure followed for the selection of beneficiaries.
The Project Management Unit (PMU) at the state level undertakes the tasks of implementation, monitoring, and quality supervision. Every house sanctioned under the PMAY-G is tagged a village-level functionary whose task is to follow-up with the beneficiary and facilitate construction.
Payment of assistance to the beneficiaries, who have been sanctioned houses, is made directly into their bank/ post office accounts through the AwaasSoft- PFMS platform electronically. The progress of different parameters for implementing the scheme is monitored through the Performance Index Dashboard which is helping in planning appropriate intervention in required areas.
There is a procedure of lodging of complaints on the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) portal (pgportal. gov.in) by the public. The complaints received in the Ministry of Rural Development through CPGRAMS or otherwise are forwarded to the respective state governments/ Union Territory administrations for redressal of the grievance.
