NEW DELHI, March 12: As of the end of the fiscal year 2023-24, a total of 2.69 crore houses have been completed under the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana – Gramin (PMAY-G) scheme, aimed at providing pucca houses with basic amenities to the rural poor. The scheme, which set a target of constructing 2.95 crore houses by March 31, 2024, has been supported with a substantial allocation of Rs 2.26 lakh crore from the Centre to state governments.

Minister of State for Rural Development Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani informed the Lok Sabha that the Union Cabinet has approved a proposal to extend the PMAY-G scheme for the period from FY 2024-25 to 2028-29. This extension will facilitate the construction of an additional two crore rural houses, along with the completion of the remaining houses under the original target of 2.95 crore by March 2025.

The PMAY-G scheme stipulates that state and union territory governments must ensure that landless beneficiaries are provided land from government-owned or other public land sources, such as Panchayat common land or community land. States are also required to provide essential infrastructure for the land, including electricity, road connectivity, drinking water, and waste management facilities. While the Ministry of Rural Development oversees the implementation of the scheme, land acquisition for beneficiaries remains a matter handled by the respective state governments.

The Ministry has been actively following up with states and union territories to ensure that land is made available to the remaining landless beneficiaries, holding regular review meetings and official communications to ensure progress. Additionally, a module has been developed within the AwaasSoft-MIS of PMAY-G to track and monitor landless beneficiaries for regular updates.

Pemmasani also clarified that the PMAY-G scheme allows for the construction of multi-storeyed houses for more than one beneficiary in cases where landlessness is an issue, ensuring that more people can benefit from the housing initiative.