To ensure that its ambitious Pradhan Mantri Gramin Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) for rural areas does not flounder like the UPA’s Indira Awas Yojana (IAY), which failed in meeting construction goals, the Modi Government has set 12 months as the target for constructing a house under the Central flagship scheme. The duration would be counted from the date of sanction of the project.
The move is aimed to ensure timely construction of dwellings under the PMAY-G under which the Central Government aims to develop 3 crore homes by 2022 in rural areas for poor families including BPl.
“The previous UPA Government in five years between 2008 and 2013 spent `60,239 crore with a target to construct over 427 lakh houses for the rural poor across the country under its ambitious Indira Awas Yojana.
“However, it fell short by almost 25 per cent of its target and by the start of the 12th Plan (2012-17) the shortfall of houses for the rural poor was almost at the same level that it was at the start of the 11th five year plan, as has been reported by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG),” said a senior official from the Union Rural Development Ministry which is mandated to implement the PMAY-G.
The NDA Government proposes to construct one crore houses to be build by 2018-19 under the scheme which was formally launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month.
“To ensure that the dwelling units are constructed in time, a strict timeframe has been outlined as any delay will escalate the construction cost. Since the beneficiaries are from economically backward stratum this might lead to non completion of the houses, thus defeating the very purpose of the scheme,” said the official.
To ensure that the house construction is completed within 12 months from the date of sanction, the five stages of construction — house sanction, foundation, plinth, windowsill, lintel, roofcast and finally completion stage-have been clearly spelt out.
“The States/UTs shall in the beginning of the fiscal year, will decide the total number of installments to be paid to the beneficiary for house construction. All States/UTs must mandatorily pay the first installment at the time of sanction,” says the circular issued by the Centre to the States.
Further construction of the house will have to be closely monitored and installments mapped as per the construction stage.
Under the scheme, the minimum area of home has been increased to 25 Square metre (267 Square foot) from 20 Sq.Mt. in IAY.
The central government would be providing a financial assistance of `120,000 in plain areas and `130,000 in eastern, hilly and IAP areas to the beneficiaries. Selection of beneficiaries will be done on the basis of SECC-2011 data, the official added.