The Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana – Gramin (PMAY-G) celebrated its 5th anniversary on November 20, 2021. Despite the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, which limited the completion of sanctioned houses under PMAY-G to just 5.4% in the fiscal year 2020-2021, the program continues to aim towards its ambitious objective of “Housing for All” by 2022.
The Inception of PMAY-G
The erstwhile rural housing scheme, Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY), was restructured into the PMAY-G effective as of April 1, 2016. The reconstruction was aimed at providing secure homes with fundamental amenities to all rural families without a home or those living in dilapidated dwellings by the end of March 2022. The Ministry of Rural Development oversees this initiative.
PMAY-G: Aiming to Improve Lives
The PMAY-G aims to provide assistance to the rural populace below the poverty line (BPL) in the form of a full grant. This aids in the construction of dwelling units and renovation of existing unserviceable kutcha houses, significantly improving the living conditions of the rural poor.
Who are the Beneficiaries?
The PMAY-G targets several sectors of the society, including individuals from SCs/STs categories, freed bonded labourers, non-SC/ST communities, widows, next-of-kin of defence personnel killed in action, ex-servicemen, retired paramilitary forces members, disabled persons, and minorities. The selection of the beneficiaries is based on a three-stage validation process: Socio-Economic Caste Census 2011, Gram Sabha, and geo-tagging.
Cost Sharing and Unit Assistance
The cost of unit assistance under the PMAY-G is shared between Central and State Governments. The ratio is 60:40 in plain areas and 90:10 for North Eastern and hilly states. The minimum size of the house increased from 20 square meters to 25 square meters, including a hygienic cooking space. Additionally, unit assistance has been increased 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.
Additional Features: Convergence with Other Programs
PMAY-G doesn’t operate in isolation. It collaborates with other governmental programs like Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin (SBM-G), MGNREGS, etc. Funding for the construction of toilets is gathered through this convergence. Efforts to provide households under PMAY-G with piped drinking water, electricity connection, LPG gas connection, etc., are attempted via these collaborations.
The journey of the PMAY-G scheme, albeit slowed down due to pandemic-induced challenges, continues to strive towards fulfilling its mission of providing a decent living environment for all rural families by March 2022.
