representative image with Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – With the target of building two crore additional houses rural being extended till March 2029, a parliamentary standing committee has recommended an appropriate increase in the assistance provided under the scheme. Parliamentary Standing Committee on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, chaired by a Congress MP Saptagiri Shankar Ulakapointed out that assistance under the scheme remained stagnant at Rs 1.2 lakh for a long time, leading to frequent cases in which houses remained incomplete.
In a report tabled in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, the panel said the approach of “housing for all” cannot achieve its goal unless beneficiaries are provided “proper support” in terms of financial assistance at the right price and at the right time. “Not provided. ,
The report also states that more than two lakh landless beneficiaries are still waiting for land or assistance from state governments to build houses, which may also delay achieving the target.
The panel said that the per unit assistance under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Rural (PMAY-G) was Rs 1.2 lakh for plain areas and Rs 1.3 lakh for hilly areas and it remained stable for a long time.
“With rising inflation having a detrimental impact on the cost factors associated with raw materials, transportation costs, labor costs, etc., building a new house of the requisite area under PMAY-G for the poor and needy beneficiaries with such assistance amount is a big step. The challenge appears to be a difficult task,” the report said.
“Furthermore, there are instances where houses remain incomplete due to lack of finance, thereby lagging behind the target,” it added.
The committee said that against the initial target of constructing 2.95 crore houses by March next year, 2.66 crore had been constructed till October 22 and 29 lakh were still not completed.
The government has approved a target to build an additional two crore houses in the next five financial years – 2024 to 2029 – the report said.
“The Committee finds it extremely important that the per unit assistance be reviewed on a priority basis, especially as the scheme has been extended till March 2029,” the panel said.
The Committee also recommended that the Department of Rural Development should urge the concerned agencies to explore all means to complete the construction of houses within the target set by the Government.
The panel expressed concern over landless beneficiaries getting land assistance to build their own houses and, citing data from the Union Ministry of Rural Development, said that out of 5,73,311 (5.73 lakh) landless beneficiaries identified under PMAY-G, 59 Percent or 3,60,837 (3.60 lakh) land was made available for housing construction.
“The issue of landlessness is impacting the progress of PMAY-G and may delay the target completion,” the report said. The report recommended that the department formulate a policy within a specified period.
On National Social Assistance Program (NSAP) – a 100 per cent centrally-funded centrally-sponsored scheme under which pension is paid to the elderly, widows, disabled persons and bereaved families on the death of the primary breadwinner belonging to BPL families – – Panel Said that the pension ranges from Rs 200 to Rs 500 per month, which was a matter of concern for a long time.
“The committee finds this amount to be extremely low when the cost of living has increased over the past few years,” the panel said.
