75% of PMAY-G target achieved: Govt data
NEW DELHI: The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-gramin or PMAY(G), India’s flagship rural housing programme, has built houses for 75% of its 27.1 million registered beneficiaries so far, with Uttar Pradesh emerging as the best performer, data available with the rural development ministry showed.
A few large states, such as Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Punjab, appeared to be lagging behind in the project, the data suggested.
The PMAY(G) was launched in 2016 to provide “Housing to All” by 2022. Last year, the implementation period was extended to 2024. The scheme now aims to provide 29.5 million pakka houses
According to the data from the ministry, Uttar Pradesh has so far completed 2.58 million houses out of its target of 2.61 million, attaining a completion rate of 98.9%. This was followed by West Bengal that has built 3.38 million out of 3.48 million houses, having a completion rate of 97.12%. Similarly, Uttarakhand attained a completion rate of 93.4%, Gujarat 88.1%, Bihar 83.5% and Rajasthan 82.93% in building the houses for the poor under the central scheme.
A few large states such as Maharashtra and Karnataka, however, are far away from meeting their targets, the data showed. Karnataka has built just 100,000 houses out of its target of 3.07 lakh, with a 33% completion rate. Similarly, Maharashtra, which needs to build 1.5 million houses, has completed just 880,000 houses. Odisha has attained a completion rate of 63%. Punjab and Tamil Nadu have completed only 58% and 55% of its target, respectively, so far. “In Karnataka and Maharashtra, both the political and bureaucratic leadership needs to sharpen their focus on the goals and targets of the scheme. We are concerned about some laxity in pursuing the targets. In Odisha, we expect the rate of building houses will go up soon,” a senior official in the ministry said, seeking anonymity.
The PMAY(G) has been one of the most popular welfare programmes along with the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana that provides free LPG connections to women in the rural belts.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has, in the past, directed officials that all new PMAY-G houses being built under the scheme would be provided with a cooking gas connection under the Ujjwala scheme and electricity connection under the Saubhagya scheme.