Srinagar: Tears streamed down the cheeks of Javaid Ahmad Dar of Veeri, Bijbebhera, when he got a roof over his head. For years, he and his family dreamt of having his own home, but the financial crisis played a spoilsport.
Enter Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojna, Dar’s dream became a reality. He and his family finally got a chance to live a comfortable life.
“I still remember the day when officials of the Rural Development Department came to our area to survey people living in uncomfortable sheds. They told us they would help us build proper houses,” he said.
Javaid recalled the tough times he and his family faced while living in the shed. “I work as a laborer, and I was unable to provide for my family with a home that would have been within my means. The Rural Development Department provided all of the funding for our new house,” he said.
Javaid expressed gratitude to the Rural Development Department for their efforts in building houses for the impoverished, such as himself, who are unable to construct a suitable home for themselves. “I am appreciative of the Rural Development Department for giving me the house; many others, including myself, have found relief in their new homes. Without them, it would not have been possible,” he continued.
Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana Gramin (PMAY-G) is the Centre’s flagship mission by the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), implemented by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) and was introduced on April 1st, 2016. The goal of PMAY-G is to give every household experiencing homelessness as well as those residing in kutcha and dilapidated houses, a pucca house with the necessities. A major contribution to the aim of “Housing for All” is made by PMAY-G, which tackles and bridges the housing deficit in rural parts of India.
Javaid is not an isolated case. “About 250 individuals who were homeless or living in sheds in Bijbehara have been given houses, and nearly 80% of those individuals have built pucca homes under the PMAY-G,” an official said.
According to an official, since April 1, 2016, the Department of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj has been carrying out the CSS PMAY-G, which offers financial support for the construction of 3.37 lakh pucca houses with basic amenities. So far 180859 houses have been completed as of date.
As per the official data, 175 houses were completed in 2017- 2018, 10845 houses were completed in 2018-2019, 6283 houses were completed in 2019-2020, 24075 houses were completed in 2020-2021, 41923 houses were completed in 2021-2022, 44834 houses were completed in 2022-2023, 52724 houses were completed in 2023-2024.
Dr. Shahid Iqbal Choudary, Commissioner Secretary, Rural Development Department told The Kashmir Monitor that around 2 lakh houses have been constructed under PMAY-G. “PMAY-G beneficiaries are identified from the Permanent Wait List (PWL) based on the Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC 2011) and finalized Awaas+ list (2019). Both the SECC & AwaasPlus PWL have been saturated. 1087.83 Crore housing funds have already been disbursed as housing assistance during 2023-24 till 31st December 2023”, he said.
The initial timeline for the PMAY-G was 2021. It has now been extended to March 2024. “The extension of the PMAY-G scheme beyond March 2024 shall be decided by the Ministry of Rural Development, GoI”, said Dr. Shahid.
