Chandika Garo of Sonapur had always dreamt of a pucca house. She had lived with this dream for well over four decades. However, on February 16, that dream took a giant leap when she was allotted the first instalment under Pradhan Mantri Gramin Awas Yojana (PMAYG) along with 3.8 lakh other beneficiaries of the State like her.
The programme held at the Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra under the aegis of the Panchayat and Rural Development (P&RD) Department was inaugurated by the Department Minister Ranjeet Kumar Dass on behalf of Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma.
Adhir Chandra Das of Moirabari, who works for a petrol pump station there, was another beneficiary under the scheme. “A pucca house will be a relief for my family. My house at present is in a dilapidated state. It needs constant repair as it is a kutcha house,” he told Asom Barta.
Dr. Sarma, in his written note, read out by the Minister, said that his Government was on track to achieve the target set under PMAY (G) allotment. The P&RD Minister appreciated the Prime Minister’s vision in ensuring houses for all under the scheme by 2024. He exhorted beneficiaries to utilise the fund allotted to them in the rightful manner. “We have been able to achieve the construction of 3.61 lakh houses under the scheme in the the last 20 months since the Government under Dr. Sarma took charge in Dispur,” he said in his speech.
Funds under the scheme have been allotted to construct 10 lakh houses in this financial year. A handbook depicting ways to construct pucca houses under the scheme was also given to beneficiaries in the programme.
The beneficiary will also avail 95 days of wages under the MGNREGA Scheme during the construction of their houses. Besides the ₹ 1.30 lakh allotted under the PMAY (G), they will boost their income by another ₹ 21,000 under the MGNREGA scheme.
Representatives of many gaon panchayats also took part in the programme through the virtual mode.
