Govt sets target of completing 10 lakh units under PMAY(G) by Aug 15

In 2021-22, the rural development department (RDD) had set a target of completing 11.59 lakh houses while in 2020-21 there was a backlog of around 2.07 lakh houses, which are yet to be completed.

PATNA: In a bid to complete approved houses for rural poor under the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana (Grameen) scheme, the state government has set the target of completing 10 lakh houses from its target of 2021-22 and 2020-21 of around 13 lakh houses by August 15 this year by initiating the process to disperse the second installment to selected beneficiaries, officials said.

Sources said the impetus to PMAY( G) has come to lessen the backlog of approved houses for beneficiaries selected from economically weaker sections. (Picture for representation)

In 2021-22, the rural development department (RDD) had set a target of completing 11.59 lakh houses while in 2020-21 there was a backlog of around 2.07 lakh houses, which are yet to be completed.

“Out of 13.66 lakh houses as per target of two years, we have set in motion to complete 10 lakh houses by August 15 this year. The deadline has been given to all districts and work is going on at a fast pace,” said a senior officer in the RDD.

Sources said the impetus to PMAY( grameen) has come to lessen the backlog of approved houses for beneficiaries selected from economically weaker sections. Last month, the state’s rural development minister Shravan Kumar expressed concern over the non-completion of around 5.51 lakh pending houses under PMAY(G) and erstwhile Indira Awaas Yojana.

The minister had warned officials of initiating action if the houses were not completed by June, reports said. The PMAY(G) scheme was launched by the Centre in 2016 for providing houses to rural poor belonging to economically weaker sections replacing the Indira Awas Yojana.

The centrally sponsored scheme provides assistance to beneficiaries of ₹1.20 lakh with Centre and state government funding the scheme in the ratio of 60:40 as matching grants.

Deputy secretary, rural development department Rajesh Parimal said the Centre had released ₹1700 crore recently under PMAY(G) and the state government was in the process of releasing matching grants for payment of the second installment to beneficiaries, whose houses are under completion. “We intend to complete the release of the second installment to all beneficiaries by June-end for completion of 10 lakh houses by August 15. Meetings will divisional commissioners, DMs and DDCs are going on to fast track the completion of houses within the deadline,” he said.

Officials said the district officials, supervising the PMAY(G), have also been directed to arrange for land for beneficiaries not having land for the construction of houses under the scheme.

“Land will be arranged for the landless people selected under the scheme but if some people show unwillingness to move to a new location, their names would be struck off from the list of beneficiaries. This is being done so that the backlog of housing units to be constructed under the scheme does not rise,” said another official in the department.