Uttar Pradesh became the first state of India to set a target to provide houses to poor under Pradhan Mantri Gramin Awas Yojana within eight months against the standard 12 months set by Government of India.
“We can understand the agony of a poor man who does not have a pucca house. He braves monsoons and biting winters in thatched roof houses. The Yogi Government has decided to provide houses within eight months from the start of construction where as the Government of India norm is that of 12 months,” Minister of state for Rural Development Mahendra Singh told ‘The Pioneer’ in lucknow on Friday.
The minister said that it was not a verbal order and a GO has been released in this regard so that officials know that the government meant business.
The first lot of 5,73,000 houses will be allotted to beneficiaries by December, 2017. Under the Government of India scheme, 9,70,108 houses were allotted to UP in the last two fiscals of 2016-17 and 2017-18. But construction of houses did not gather momentum as a major part of this period was governed by Samajwadi Party which had launched its own flagship project of lohia Awas Yojana.
“By March 2018 we will construct all these houses and allot them to their beneficiaries. Over 6,62,000 houses have been registered so far. We have received complaints about bogus registrations which number around 10,000. We have identified those persons and removed them from the beneficiary list,” the minister said.
The Modi Government has launched a campaign to provide houses to all people by 2022. The Yogi Government has complimented it by saying that it would implement Modi government’s policies in letter and spirit. Uttar Pradesh is expected to build 27 lakh houses for the poor by 2022.
The total cost of these houses is 1.20 lakh per unit. As pe GOI guidelines, the money will be given to beneficiary in three equal installments of Rs 40,000 each. The UP Government has however made a change after consultation with the Union Government. The allocation of fund will be in three unequal installment of Rs 10,000 followed by second installment of Rs 70,000 and last installment would be Rs 10,000.
Besides, the house owner will be given Rs 12,000 additional fund for construction of toilet and as he would be busy in construction of his house and will lose employment through MNREGA, the beneficiary will get additional Rs 15,759.
“These houses would be constructed on the set pattern by the beneficiary himself. As the owner himself would be responsible for construction material as well as arranging labour, we believe the construction quality would be good. Therefore, there were no guidelines for inspection,” the minister said.
The set guidelines is that beneficiary should be from BPl. He should not have a pucca house, or vehicle, but should be owner of land.
“In the next phase, we are planning to give free electricity connection of these families. These people will also be entitled for free lPG connection,” Singh said.