The Union Ministry of Rural Development in India has introduced penalties for any delay in completing the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin), a flagship rural household scheme. The necessity for implementing penalties has arisen due to lags in the scheme’s implementation, majorly aggravated by the Covid-19 situation.
Understanding the Penalty System
The imposed penalty would be charged against the state government. If there is a delay of over a month from the target issue date in sanctioning the house, the state government would bear a penalty of Rs 10 per house for the initial month of delay and Rs 20 per house for each consecutive month of delay. Similarly, if the first installment due to the beneficiary is delayed by more than seven days from the sanction date, the state government would have to shell out Rs 10 per house per week of delay. However, no penalty would be levied if the central funds are unavailable with the state.
Encouraging Better Focus on the Scheme
Owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin) witnessed a slowdown. Announcing penalties is an effort by the central government to ensure that states concentrate more on the program. States such as West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Assam, are notably lagging behind their targets. In addition, because West Bengal repackaged the scheme as “Bangla Awas Yojana”, the central government had to hold back funds meant for this scheme.
About Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna (Gramin)
The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna (Gramin) falls under the ambit of the Ministry of Rural Development. Its primary goal is to provide a pucca house with essential amenities to every rural family who is homeless or living in kutcha or dilapidated houses by the end of March 2022. It aims to assist rural people who are deemed Below the Poverty Line (BPL) in constructing dwelling units and upgrading existing unserviceable kutcha houses by providing a full grant.
Identifying Beneficiaries
The beneficiaries of this scheme include those belonging to SCs/STs, freed bonded labourers, non-SC/ST categories, widows or next-of-kin of defense personnel killed in action, ex-servicemen and retired members of the paramilitary forces, disabled persons, and minorities. The selection of these beneficiaries involves a three-stage validation process – Socio-Economic Caste Census 2011, Gram Sabha, and geo-tagging.
Cost Sharing and Features of the Scheme
The cost of the unit assistance is shared between the Central and State Governments in a 60:40 ratio in plain areas and a 90:10 ratio for North Eastern and hilly states. The scheme has seen an increment in unit assistance from Rs. 70,000 to Rs. 1.20 lakh in plain areas and from Rs. 75,000 to Rs. 1.30 lakh in hilly states. In conjunction with other initiatives such as Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin (SBM-G) and MGNREGS, the scheme also assists in the construction of toilets.
Scheme Performance
Under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna (Gramin), the government has targeted the construction of 2.95 crore houses. As of August 2022, a total of 2.02 crore houses have been constructed successfully.
National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM): A Look at Previous Year Question
In the UPSC Civil Services Examination of 2012, a question was asked about how the National Rural Livelihood Mission seeks to improve the livelihood options of rural poor. The correct answer revealed that the NRLM, a poverty alleviation project led by the Ministry of Rural Development, promotes self-employment and organization of rural poor through strengthening ‘self-help groups’ and providing skill development.
