The huge success of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) where over 44 lakh houses for the poor have been constructed would prove to be a game changer, claimed the Union Minister of State for Rural Development, Ram Kripal Yadav while addressing the newsmen here on Monday. He said that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken up a target that by the year 2022, every homeless would have a Pucca house and the government is now working tirelessly in the direction to meet the lofty objective.
The Union Minister that during the previous UPA regime, a sum of Rs 75,000 was provided to construct houses under Indira Awas Yojana, but now a sum of Rs 1.5 lakh is being provided under PMAY.
He added that now the houses are being constructed as per a standard model with the facility of kitchen and toilet in every unit. Yadav said that immediately after assuming charge, the PM Modi had clearly said that the priority of his government would be focused on villages, poor and farmers. “He has acted on his commitment as a sum of Rs 14.34 lakh crore is being provided in the budget for village uplift and rural development,” he said.
On Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), the Minister claimed that the budgetary allocation has been increased from Rs 30,000 crore to Rs 55,000 crore. He said that the scheme is also boosting women empowerment as 65 percent of the work force comprises women.
lauding the Modi Government for its pro-poor leaning, the minister said that under the directive of PM Modi, 65 percent of total works under MGNREGS are for agriculture and irrigation activities and positive results of this emphasis are now showing up. While dwelling on the rural road scheme, he said that the budget has been hiked from Rs 80000 crore to 190000 crore. He added that by opening bank accounts under Jan Dhan Scheme, the government has succeeded in transferring subsidies, pension and payment of MGNREGS through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) which has ended corruption. Yadav said that under the NDA regime, 134 km of roads are being constructed every year while during the UPA rule, 69 km of roads were constructed.
Heaping praise on the Uttarakhand government for satisfactory progress in the implementation of the schemes related to his department, he informed that the target of 16000 houses under the PMAY would be achieved this year.
Yadav said that he visited Chharba village in Vikas Nagar and met the beneficiaries of PMAY. He said that he talked to one Mukesh Kumar who earlier was living in a Kuccha house. “He got emotional while interacting with me as he is now living in a Pucca house constructed under PMAY,” he added.
Quizzed over the state government’s request to relax criteria of 250 houses for the rural road scheme, the Minister said that the Union Government would look into the demand seriously.