The Union Ministry of Rural Development has allocated 37.80 lakh houses to 18 states under the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) for 2024-25, with BJP-ruled Chhattisgarh and poll-bound Maharashtra accounting for more than one-third of the total, reports The Indian Express.
Chhattisgarh leads the allocation with 8.61 lakh houses, making up over 22% of the total, followed by Maharashtra with 6.37 lakh houses, or more than 16%. Other states in the top five include Madhya Pradesh (3.68 lakh), Gujarat (2.99 lakh), and Bihar (2.43 lakh).
In contrast, during the first phase of PMAY-G (2016-2024), Chhattisgarh, which had a Congress government until November 2023, received 11.76 lakh houses (3.98% of the target), while Maharashtra received 13.78 lakh houses (4.67%).
The second phase of PMAY-G aims to build 2 crore houses by 2028-29, with 40 lakh houses targeted for the first year (2024-25). Of this, 37.80 lakh houses have been allocated across 18 states, including Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Bihar, Karnataka, Kerala, Assam, Rajasthan, Odisha, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Manipur, and Andhra Pradesh.
West Bengal and Telangana are notable exclusions from the list. The Centre has stopped releasing funds to West Bengal under PMAY-G and MGNREGA, while Telangana did not implement the first phase of PMAY-G.
As of November 12, at least one installment has been released to 19.67 lakh beneficiaries, and 4,691 houses have been completed. Funds are transferred through the Aadhaar Payment Bridge (APB) system, sources told The Indian Express.
Under PMAY-G, each beneficiary receives up to Rs 1.2 lakh for construction in plain areas and Rs 1.3 lakh in hilly, tribal, and backward regions. The funds are released in four installments, with beneficiaries given 12 months to complete construction.
The cost-sharing ratio between the Centre and states is 60:40 for plain areas and 90:10 for Northeastern states, Jammu and Kashmir, and two Himalayan states. The Centre bears 100% of the cost for Union Territories, including Ladakh.
Recently, the Centre relaxed eligibility criteria under PMAY-G, allowing families with two-wheelers, motorized fishing boats, refrigerators, or landline phones, and a monthly income up to Rs 15,000, to avail of the housing scheme.
In June 2024, after returning to power, the BJP-led government announced plans to build 2 crore houses under the second phase of PMAY-G, in addition to the 2.95 crore houses approved in previous terms.
In August, the Union Cabinet approved an outlay of Rs 3.06 lakh crore for the project, with Rs 2.05 lakh crore from the Centre and Rs 1 lakh crore from the states, according to an official release.