Matribhumi Samachar English
Union Rural Development and Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan held a meeting of Rural Development Ministers of States through video conferencing today. Shri Chouhan informed that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will release an installment of Rs 2,745 crore to lakhs of beneficiaries of the ambitious PM Awas Yojana on September 15 in Jamshedpur (Jharkhand), along with this, acceptance letters will be distributed to all the targeted beneficiaries in the financial year 2024-25. A large number of people will participate in this program and at lakhs of people will join the program online.
Union Minister Mr. Shivraj Singh Chouhan chaired the meeting in which senior officials of the Rural Development Ministry were present, Shri Chouhan gave necessary instruction for the preparation of the program. The Rural Development Ministers of the States expressed their resolve to fully participate in the program. Union Minister said that the upliftment of our poor brothers and sisters of the country in every way is the ultimate goal of the Modi government and towards the achievement of which the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana is an important step. This scheme has progressed with great success. Shri Chouhan informed that our Prime Minister’s resolve is that every poor should have his own house and the Rural Development Ministry has achieved the target in Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin. He further said that realizing the success of the scheme and the need for rural houses the scheme has been expanded and the central government will construct 2 crore additional houses for the poor section in the next 5 years.
Union Minister said that the target was to construct 2.95 crore houses by March 2024 out of which almost all the houses have been approved, 2.65 crore houses have also been completed. Shri Chouhan said that the Griha pravesh of 26 lakh beneficiaries whose houses have been completed so far during the financial year 2023-24 and 2024-25 will also take place on September. He further informed that on this occasion, Prime Minister Shri Modi will also interact with PMAY-G beneficiaries. 2 crore additional new houses will be constructed at a cost of more than Rs. Rs 3.06 lakh crore.
Shri Chouhan informed that so that no eligible family is deprived of the benefits of this important scheme, the rules of the scheme have been simplified and amended. Exclusion criteria such as motorized two-wheelers and fishing boats, refrigerators, landline phones have been removed. Apart from this, the monthly income limit of member of the family has been increased from Rs. 10 thousand to Rs. 15 thousand. Also, the exclusion criteria related to land ownership has also been simplified. The Ministry of Rural Development, after consulting the views of all the states and all the stakeholders, has decided that unnecessary conditions should be removed so that the objective of housing for all can be truly realized.
Union Minister Shri Chouhan said that the aim of the Ministry of Rural Development towards the upliftment of rural India is not only to provide housing but also to ensure basic amenities along with housing. Under this, the beneficiaries are also given the benefit of 90-95 days of wages for building their houses under MGNREGA and in coordination with other welfare schemes like Swachh Bharat Mission, Ujjwala Yojana, and Saubhagya Yojana, facilities of toilet, cooking gas and electricity are being ensured in the houses. Also, in coordination with Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar: Free Electricity Scheme, efforts are being made to reduce the electricity bills of the beneficiaries by giving them solar roof top connection. Every house built under this scheme is a complete house, a well-equipped house. In true sense, this scheme will prove to be the foundation stone of poverty free village and developed India. Shri Chouhan said that the Rural Development Ministry is constantly making efforts and is available for any kind of assistance and problem solution, so that the state can successfully complete the work without delay.
