STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: The gap in the government price rates for construction materials and the market rates has become a major hurdle for the beneficiaries of PMAY-G (Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin) to complete their houses in time.
According to sources, a beneficiary gets an allocation of Rs 1.51 lakh for the construction of a 16x18-foot house. And the beneficiary gets Rs 21,000 of the allocated amount through his MGNREGA job card.
Several PMAY-G beneficiaries informed The Sentinel that the scheduled rates for materials like rod, bricks, cement, chips, sand, etc. under the scheme do not match the current market rates, and that makes them pay extra bucks. Citing an example, they said that the price of chips per cubic metre in the market is around Rs 1,800, but the scheduled rate under the scheme is Rs 800. Likewise, the rate of brick per piece in the market now is Rs 10–14, but the scheduled rate under the scheme is only Rs 7; the market rate of sand per cubic metre is around Rs 1,200 against the scheduled rate of Rs 950 under the scheme; etc.
According to sources, most of the time the beneficiaries do not get jobs under their MGNREGA job cards, and that makes it difficult for them to recover the Rs 21,000 of the allocated amount under the scheme.
According to the scheme, a beneficiary gets Rs 32,500 for the foundation as the first installment, the second installment of Rs 48,750 for doors, windows, and walls, and the third and last installment of Rs 48,750 for the wooden frame and CI sheets.
A beneficiary said, “With the prices of construction materials going up almost every day, we cannot complete the houses in time. Those who have money can complete the construction work at their own cost. However, those who solely depend on the allocation of the scheme have to suffer. The charges for masonry and carpentry that a beneficiary has to bear are also quite high these days. Apart from this, the carrying charges of materials also burn holes in our pockets. In many cases, such houses remain half-constructed.”
Sources associated with building construction say that the escalating prices of materials are a major problem for all, let alone PMAY-G beneficiaries. The prices of cement, rod, sand, and chips go up almost every day, and the government has no control over them.
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