The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), originally set to conclude this year, has been extended for five more years by the union government. The extension comes with some updated conditions, including eligibility for those who own bikes and refrigerators to increase the eligible candidates for the scheme. These changes have been made to broaden the scope of beneficiaries and aim to eradicate homelessness by 2029.
The government instructed to update the list of eligible poor individuals, which was initially prepared in 2018. An open meeting will be held in each Gram Panchayat to transparently identify and select those in need.
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Under the revised guidelines of the PMAY, village heads and Panchayat Secretaries will no longer have the authority to allocate benefits based on personal preferences. The new directives aim to prevent favouritism and ensure that the housing scheme reaches the most deserving candidates.
Additionally, the selection process will be documented in a register that will be accessible to the public to maintain transparency. This register will serve as the basis for any investigations into the eligibility of beneficiaries.
Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY)
Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), launched in 2015, aims to provide housing for all citizens in India. The scheme offers a subsidy on loans through the Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme (CLSS) and categorises beneficiaries into three groups, Economically Weaker Section (EWS), Lower Income Group (LIG) and Middle Income Group (MIG).
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In the Union Budget 2024, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a 66 per cent increase in funding, raising the total outlay to over Rs 79,000 crore. FM Sitharaman highlighted that despite COVID-19 challenges, the scheme is nearing its goal of building three crore houses, with plans to construct two crore more in the next five years.
PMAY is divided into two types – Urban and Rural. The Urban scheme targets EWS, LIG and MIG populations across over 4,000 towns and cities, aiming for comprehensive coverage by December. The Rural scheme focuses on providing housing in rural areas through a cost-sharing model between the Centre and state governments.
