PRADHAN MANTRI AWAS YOJANA-GRAMIN

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Context:

The Union Minister of Rural Development relaxed the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G)'s automatic exclusion criteria to provide rural families with affordable and sustainable housing.

What are the Automatic Exclusion Criteria?

• PMAY-G utilises automated exclusion criteria to rank the most deserving households in order of priority to ensure that only individuals without adequate housing receive benefits.
• These criteria include asset ownership and income levels.
• Recently, the government relaxed exclusion criteria for some families:
  • • The scheme now covers families earning up to Rs 15,000 per month and owning two-wheelers, refrigerators, motorised fishing boats, and landlines. 

About Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY)

• It was launched in 2015 to ensure affordable housing for all by 2022. 
  • • The Union Cabinet extended it till December 31, 2024.
• It is divided into two key components: 
  • • PMAY-Urban (PMAY-U) for urban areas 
    • PMAY-Gramin (PMAY-G) for rural India.
• The Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme (CLSS) Awas Portal (CLAP) was launched to bring together key stakeholders to ensure accountability and transparency in the scheme's implementation.

PMAY-Urban (PMAY-U)

PMAY-U intends to address housing shortages for the urban poor, including economically disadvantaged individuals, low-income groups, and middle-income groups, by offering affordable housing options.

Key Features

• Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), Low Income Group (LIG), Middle IncomeHouseholds, and slum dwellers are the eligible beneficiaries.
• Under the Credit-Linked Subsidy Scheme (CLSS), eligible beneficiaries receive up to 6.5% interest subsidy on home loans.
• The scheme focuses on promoting women's ownership by the mandatory provision of registering the house in the name of the female head of the household or a joint title with the male head. 
• The scheme provides homes with basic facilities like; electricity, water, and sanitary facilities to improve living conditions.
• It provides special provisions for vulnerable populations, such as senior citizens, SCs, STs, OBCs, single women, and transgender people to promote inclusive urban settings.

PMAY-Gramin (PMAY-G)

PMAY-G aims to offer affordable, long-term housing to the rural poor by constructing pucca houses for homeless families and those living in temporary shelters.

Key Features

• Beneficiaries under PMAY-G are identified based on the Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) 2011. 
• The scheme provides financial assistance of Rs 1.2 lakh in plain areas and Rs 1.3 lakh in hilly areas to beneficiaries to help them build homes.
• PMAY-G houses have been constructed to survive in rural areas vulnerable to natural calamities such as floods and earthquakes.
• The scheme integrates with other schemes such as the Ujjwala Yojana and the Jan Dhan Yojana, improving overall development by providing LPG connections and financial inclusion.

Challenges faced by PM Awas Yojana

• Land acquisition is difficult in urban areas due to high costs and legal complications, while in rural areas, outdated or disputed land records complicate the process.
• The construction project faces budgetary and financial issues and delays in the development process.
• Bureaucratic obstacles and contractor issues may lead to implementation delays by requiring multiple levels of permission and coordination among government departments.
• The construction sector is facing issues in fulfilling quality standards and guaranteeing disaster resilience houses.
• Beneficiary identification is critical for proper recognition and avoiding duplication, but it can be difficult due to insufficient information.

Way Forward for PM Awas Yojana

• Reforming policies and public-private collaborations can help to simplify land acquisition processes and update property records.
• The focus must be on improving financial mechanisms through creative funding options such as municipal bonds and ensuring timely subsidy disbursement through simplified administrative processes.
• Single-window clearance systems for faster clearances and capacity building for contractors and local governments to increase efficiency are needed for implementation improvements.
• Strict monitoring is necessary during the building process to uphold quality standards, and real-time monitoring and reporting should be facilitated by the use of technology such as mobile apps and geo-tagging.
• Awareness campaigns to educate potential beneficiaries about the program and data integration to improve beneficiary identification accuracy.
• The main objectives should be to support the development of comprehensive infrastructure in housing projects and advance renewable energy sources and sustainable building techniques.

Conclusion

PMAY-U seeks to promote inclusivity by expanding eligibility, providing basic infrastructure and services, enforcing stringent project timeframes, facilitating affordable housing financing, and utilising technology and corporate partnerships to achieve "Housing for All" by 2024.

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PRADHAN MANTRI AWAS YOJANA (PMAY)

Source: 

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