Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana : 3.36 Crore Houses Delivered

About 3.36 crore houses were built and handed over to beneficiaries, rural and urban combined, so far under the central government’s flagship housing for all scheme, the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PM-Awas). According to official data available for until March 18, 2.55 crore housing units came up in rural areas and 81.55 lakhs in urban areas under the scheme.

Launched on June 25, 2015, PM Awas Yojana will end after extensions on March 31, 2024. The interim Budget of the central government for 2024- 25 tabled on February 1, 2024, by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced 2 crore additional houses in rural areas over the next five years. “Two crore more houses will be taken up in the next five years to meet the requirement arising from increase in the number of families,” Sitharaman had said, tabling the interim Budget for 2024-25.

Details of the new scheme is likely to come in the final budget of the new government. The total allocation to the Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry for 2024-25 is Rs 77,523 crore, up from Rs 76,431 crore in 2023-24. The total allocation for PMAY is Rs 80,671 crore out of which Rs 54,500 crore is earmarked for PMAY (Rural).

The PM Awas Yojana has four components: In-situ slum redevelopment – where the land is used as resource and with help of private sectors, formal urban establishments are provided to slum dwellers. Central assistance of Rs 1 lakh per house is admissible for all houses built under this. The States/UTs decide on an upper ceiling on the sale price of economically weaker section houses with the objective of making them affordable and accessible to the intended beneficiaries.

Affordable housing in partnership – Central assistance of Rs 1.5 lakh per EWS house is provided by the government. The States/UTs to decide on an upper ceiling on the sale price of EWS houses with the objective of making them affordable and accessible to the intended beneficiaries. Beneficiary-led construction scheme: Central assistance up to Rs 1.5 lakh per EWS house is provided to eligible families belonging to EWS categories for individual house construction or enhancement.

Unlike previous housing schemes, the money under this scheme is directly transferred to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries. The houses under the scheme has all basic amenities like toilet, water supply, electricity and kitchen. This scheme by the center is particularly targeted at offering sustainable and affordable housing for the poor and low-income groups.

Under housing for all scheme, central government intends to provide pucca houses to all its citizens. The scheme also aims at women empowerment by mandating a woman to be either owner or co- owner of the house provided under the scheme.