Union Cabinet extends Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin Scheme; approves Rs 217,257 crore for scheme

Union Cabinet Chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi today extended Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin Scheme till 2024. The announcement was made by the Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur. 

Thakur said that 1.65 crore houses have already been constructed under this scheme and handed over to the beneficiary families as on November 2021 as against the estimated requirement of 2.95 cr houses for the rural poor. The scheme has been extended to help the remaining families build their houses, he further said. 

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The flagship programme of the Indian Government under which affordable houses are being provided to the rural poor was launched in 2016. 

The government has spent Rs 1.95 lakh cr on this scheme till March 2021, out of which Centre has contributed Rs 144,162 cr, the Union Minister said.  

In order to build the remaining number of pucca houses for the poor by 2024, the Cabinet also approved an amount of Rs 217,257 cr, Thakur said. 

Out of the approved amount, Centre’s share will be 143,782 cr and this also includes interest payment amount of Rs 18,676 cr for loans to NABARD, the minister said. 

He said that the hilly states like the Himalayan states, Jammu and Kashmir and North-eastern states where payment is made in the ratio of 9:1 as against 6:4 ratio in other states. The government spends 100 per cent on the union territories, he further said. 

The Government also provides an amount of Rs 12,000 per family for building toilets under Swacch Bharat Grameen which is apart from the amount given for building houses.  

The government also provides assistance in the form of 90-days of MNREGA wages. Meanwhile, in hilly states, Jammu and Kashmir and North-eastern assistance is provided for 95 days. 

The government’s resolve to provide pucca houses along with electricity and water concludes with this scheme, he said. 

Thakur called it a big decision by the government for building houses for the rural poor.