The Narendra Modi government’s flagship rural housing scheme, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G), has become a source of convergence for several other schemes and the focus is now on linking women beneficiaries with National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) to empower them economically, a senior official said.

Over the last two years under the PMAY-G, all the new houses have been sanctioned in the name of women beneficiaries or in the joint ownership of a male and female members of the household. According to senior officials of the Rural Development Ministry, 27 per cent of all beneficiaries are women, while 46 per cent houses are under joint ownership.

Around 74 per cent of the sanctioned houses are owned by women solely or jointly, the official said. "For the last two years, houses have been sanctioned in the name of women members of the family or in joint-ownership. This has become a major tool for women empowerment at the grassroots level," said a senior official who did not want to be named.

"Now we are trying to bring these women beneficiaries within the folds of NRLM, so that they can be further economically empowered," the official said. The NRLM is a poverty alleviation project implemented by the Ministry of Rural Development. It helps rural poor to be organised into Self Help Groups (SHGs) for improvement of their income.

The ‘Lakhpati Didi’ initiative of the government aims at enabling women members of SHGs to earn Rs 1 lakh per annum. The PMAY-G, under which Rs 1.20 lakh is given for the construction of a house in the plain areas and Rs 1.30 lakh in the northeastern region states and hill states, has also become a source of convergence of several other schemes.

For the construction of a house under PMAY-G, 90 days skilled labour wages are provided under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), while Rs 12,000 is given under the Swachh Bharat Mission for construction of toilets. The PMAY-G is also linked with other schemes like Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana for giving LPG connections to women of below poverty line (BPL) category and Jal Jeevan Mission for water connection. Now it is also being linked with the PM Surya Ghar scheme for solar power.

The PMAY-G scheme has also facilitated masonry training to locals in the villages, the official added. "So far, around 2.80 lakh rural masons have been trained. They also get a certificate of the training," the official said. The PMAY-G, launched in 2016, had a target of constructing 2.95 crore pucca houses in five years. According to the Rural Development Ministry, 2.67 crore houses have been constructed under the scheme so far, while around 77 lakh houses pending under the Indira Gandhi Awas Yojana have also been completed.

The Rural Development Ministry observed Awaas Diwas on Wednesday on the 8th anniversary of PMAY-G. The flagship scheme was launched by Prime Minister Modi on November 20, 2016 in Agra, Uttar Pradesh.

According to government officials remaining 35 lakh houses not completed till March 31 would also be completed to achieve the cumulative target of 2.95 crore houses of the previous phase. The second phase of the scheme, approved by the Union cabinet earlier this year, targets construction of additional two crore houses.