RURAL MINISTRY RACES AGAINST TIME TO BUILD HOUSES FOR POOR

NEW DELHI: The rural development ministry has to double its efforts to fulfil Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s promise to build more houses for the rural poor.

In his address to the nation on the eve of the New Year, the PM announced that his government will build 33% more houses under the Pradhan Mantri Grameen Awas Yojna.

For the ministry, grappling to meet the annual targets of houses, it means that a total 4.4 million new rural houses for the poor have to be built this year. The housing programme, a popular scheme in rural India was earlier named after Indira Gandhi, but last November, the Modi government renamed it as Pradhan Mantri Grameen Awas Yojna.

“Earlier, we had the target of building 3.3 million houses. Now, the target has been revised to 4.4 million. But we are confident we will manage,” said rural development secretary Amarjeet Sinha.

The ministry also has to complete its target of finishing 1.2 million incomplete houses across the country. The entire exercise looks like an uphill task as the rural development ministry has been able to build just 1.1 million to 1.8 million houses annually in the last five years.

As the Modi government has been pushing pro-poor measures, rural housing is a key area for it. Gaps in reaching targets can be a politically risky affair, especially after the PM himself has set a specific goal. “I admit there can’t be any excuse of not fulfilling the objective. The PM has given us enough funds and also a free hand in implementing a strategy,” Sinha told HT.

To push faster construction of houses, the Centre has also announced prizes for district magistrates. “Districts in which at least 50% of the target is fulfilled, DMs will be given special awards by the Centre,” said Sinha.