STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: The improved performance of the Assam Government in PMAY-U (Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban) for the past two years has led the Central Government to take a decision to release Rs 270 crore to the State under the flagship scheme. The Centre will release the amount shortly.
Speaking to the media today, State Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Ashok Singhal said, “The Central Government sanctioned around 1.57 houses to urban poor in the state under the PMAY-U, so far. Each of the beneficiaries gets Rs 80,000 in the first installment, Rs 1 lakh in the second installment and Rs 30,000 in the third installment to erect a pucca house. So far, 1,03,600 beneficiaries of the state got the first installment, 85,000 got the second installment, and 48,426 got the third installment.”
The minister said, “Our PMAY-U performance in the past two years was significant. We constructed as many as 45,000 pucca houses under the scheme, including 22,500 houses in the last six months. This performance has led the Centre to take the decision to release Rs 270 crore to the State Government under PMAY-U shortly.”
Singhal said, “The State Government feels that Rs 2.10 lakh (in three installments) is a bit small for erecting a pucca house in urban areas of the state. Taking that in view, the State Government releases Rs 10,000 on its own to each of the PMAY-U beneficiaries.”
The minister further said, “A section of urban poor are staying on government lands. Without lands in their names, such people cannot get PMAY-U houses sanctioned. In order to make them eligible to be beneficiaries under the scheme, the State Government has designated the deputy commissioners to give settlement of 3-5 lessas of government land against each of such families. This move on the part of the government will make over 20,000 urban poor people eligible beneficiaries of PMAY-U. The deputy commissioners will start giving land settlement to landless urban poor at the token premium of just Rs 500 as approved by the state cabinet in its last sitting.”
PMAY-U is an urban flagship mission under the Government of India. It is being implemented across the country, including Assam, with the objective of ensuring pucca houses for all eligible urban households when the nation completes 75 years of its independence.
The Central Government recently conferred the most improved state award of the country on Assam for its improved PMAY-U performance in the past two years, the minister said.
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