The Directive Principles of State Policy enshrined in our Constitution encourages the State to secure, among others, a decent standard of living for all. An essential part of this Policy is providing adequate shelter.
Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Grameen (PMAY-G), launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015, with the avowed objective of providing affordable housing to the rural and urban poor by 2024, got a major boost in Assam on May 19 when five lakh houses were allotted to beneficiaries under the scheme in a public meeting in Jorhat.
The meeting was graced by Union Minister of Rural Development Giriraj Singh, who in the presence of the Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma and his Cabinet colleague and Panchayat & Rural Development Minister Ranjeet Kumar Dass, ceremonially sanctioned ₹ 7,739.50 crore for 5 lakh PMAY-G houses in Assam. Besides the first of three equal instalments of ₹ 1.3 lakh, each beneficiary will also be getting ₹ 21,755 as payment for 95 man-days under MGNREGA.
With this, the number of beneficiaries under the PMAY (G) in the State has gone up to 19 lakh. One of them being Renu Bala Kalita of Khudra Polaha village of Agdola Gaon near Baihata Chariali in Kamrup district.
Renu Bala’s husband was allotted a pucca house, which was to be built over his kutcha house, under the Scheme. Her joy was short-lived when he passed away without finishing the task. However, she became the beneficiary of the Scheme and is now the proud owner of a 25 square metre house where she resides with one of her daughters.
“I am delighted. With this, my dream of having a pucca roof over my head is fulfilled. It would have been impossible for us to have such a house but for the Government,” she said.
Like her, poor families of neighbouring villages have also benefited under the scheme once they have been identifed based on parameters drawn from the Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC). The SECC parameters are verified by gram sabhas.
Purnima Devi Barman of Agdola Gaon is another beneficiary of the visionary scheme. Her ailing husband is a struggling watchmaker by profession. She now resides in a pucca house.
The scheme has also created jobs for labourers in rural India. So much so that during the Covid-19 pandemic, PMAY-G became a significant source of livelihood for migrant workers, providing a dignified life to millions living in the hinterland of India.
In a reiteration of the Prime Minister’s vision of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas’, the Assam Chief Minister pointed out in his speech that out of the 12,000 beneficiaries from Jorhat district, four thousand are from the tea garden community. He also urged the tea garden management to provide No Objection Certificate (NOC) for construction of the houses. Dr. Sarma said that the scheme would strengthen Assam’s rural economy.
Mr Ranjeet Kumar Dass while talking to Asom Barta credited the Chief Minister for continuously monitoring the scheme. “We are hopeful that by 2024, we will be able to achieve 100 per cent target under the scheme”, he said.
