The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)
Congress govt in Telangana shuns BRS stand, wants to join PMAY- G
FOR THE first time, Congressruled Telangana has shown willingness to implement the Pradhan Mantri Awas YojanaGramin ( PMAY- G) from the financial year 2024- 25. The state has sought approval for 1.57 lakh houses to be built under the NDA government's flagship rural housing scheme.
The Telangana government has expressed its willingness in a letter the state’s Principal Secretary of Department of Transport, Roads & Buildings sent to the Secretary, Union Ministry of Rural Development on March 16.
The stance of the current Telangana government led by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy is contrary to that of the previous BRS government that never implemented the PMAY- G ever since its nation- wide rollout on April 1, 2016. It was the only state that did not join the scheme.
In 2016- 17, the Centre had allocated Rs 190 crore to Telangana government with a target of 76,0 0 0 houses. However, the state government did not implement the scheme. According to sources, the state government at that time did not want to follow the Centre’s guidelines.
In its March 16 letter, the state government has informed the Ministry of Rural Development that it has 2.86 lakh families without houses as per the SocioEconomic and Caste Census ( SECC) 2011 data. “In this regard, it is submitted that the State Government will comply with the guidelines of PMAY ( G) in all respects, including branding,” the state said in its letter.
“Therefore, it is requested to consider for sanction of 1,57,500 houses under PMAY- G to the State at the earliest as the State Government has taken up the programme on top priority,” it said.
It is learnt that the Centre is likely to allow the implementation of the PMAY- G scheme in the state. However, the allocation of the houses to the state will be made from the 2 crore additional PMAY- G houses announced by Finance Minister Nirmal Sitharaman in her interim Budget for 2024- 25. The allocation of these additional houses will commence from the current financial year.
The Telangana government’s willingness for implementation of the PMAY- G comes at a time when the recently formed Congress government in the state has set an ambitious target of construction of 25 lakh houses. It plans to construct 4.5 lakh houses this financial year, of which 1.57 lakh houses will be in the rural areas. The state government intends to construct these houses under the Beneficiary Led Construction ( BLC) of the PMAY- G.
The PMAY- G is a flagship Central scheme, involving the states, that aims to provide pucca houses with a minimum area of 25 sq m with basic amenities to people in rural areas who are homeless or live in kutcha and dilapidated houses.
Each beneficiary gets funds up to Rs 1.20 lakh in the plains and Rs 1.30 lakh in hilly states, difficult terrain, and tribal and backward districts under the Integrated Action Plan. The funds are to be split in a 60: 40 ratio between the Centre and states, respectively, with the target of constructing 2.95 crore houses by March 2024.
Against the mandated target of 2.95 crore houses, 2,94,78,374 houses have already been sanctioned to the beneficiaries by various States/ UTS and construction of 2.59 crore houses has also been completed till April 3, 2024.