Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana to be completed by December 2023

Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana to be completed by December 2023

The Narendra Mogi government’s target to construct 29.3 million houses for all rural poor is expected to be completed by December 2023, as the popular scheme has gained momentum, received additional resources and is being closely supervised.

According to latest data available with the Centre, 24 million pucca housing units — for as many poor families — have been completed as on July 6. The government has also sanctioned the construction of more than 5 million houses and fewer than 0.3 million dwelling units are expected to get government’s approval soon.

HT has learnt that the bulk of the remaining 5.3 million houses is expected to be completed by December, ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s deadline to all ministries to complete all pending projects by January 26, 2024.

Usually, construction-related works slow down during the monsoon and gain pace in the winter season after the sowing season of rabi crops.

HT has also learnt that the government will try to reach key milestones in its flagship schemes on important dates such as Independence Day and Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary for achieving its targets in a time-bound manner. These will be showcased as its success ahead of the next general election.

The Narendra Modi government pegged the budget for rural housing or Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna (Grameen) to ₹54,487 crore from FY24, a 12% jump from last financial year’s revised estimates of ₹48,422 crore. The urban version of the scheme, however got its budget slashed to ₹25,103 crore from the RE of ₹28,708 crore.

Another popular scheme, Ayushman Bharat, which allows free health care for millions of poor, is also expected to register additional 70 million families in the next four months. The registration of 70 million households—mostly in Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan — means additional 170 million people will be covered under the world’s largest universal healthcare scheme. Currently, 100 million families are already registered under the scheme.

The housing programme and the healthcare scheme are among the most popular welfare measures of the Narendra Modi government. The new houses now come with toilets from Swachh Bharat programme, Ujjwala (free cooking gas connection) and the universal electrification plan called Saubhagya. They also get a tap water connection.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 3 asked his ministers and bureaucrats to implement all projects including the budget promises of FY23-24 and complete capital expenditure infusion by January 26, 2024. In a meeting of the council of ministers, Modi also emphasised the need to go among the people to explain the benefits of the schemes.

“We can’t be content in merely implementing the schemes but we also have to explain the benefit of the schemes to the people. Voters are smart. Sessions should be organized at village, district and tehsil levels to appraise people of their rights and entitlements. Bankers should also be sensitized,” PM Modi told his council of ministers on Monday.

HT had reported that a number of key schemes and projects with larger public outreach in 6-7 ministries will see a further push and early deadlines.

The welfare measures and creation of a large number of individual beneficiaries have also evolved as a potential vote bank for the BJP. Replying to the Opposition’s charges on his government’s links with the Adani group, Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to these beneficiaries, who got basic services for the first time in 75 years, as his armour.

“I don’t think the government will be able to complete building all houses. Nevertheless, the full coverage in PMAYG, even if the bulk of Target is achieved by FY24, will make a significant impact in rural India. Three schemes of this government- rural housing, drinking water connection in every home and Ujjwala- will make major social impact and also help the government, as we saw in the last UP polls, politically,” said Jugal Kishore Mohapatra, former rural development secretary.