Guwahati: At least 1.8 million houses have been built in Assam under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G), Minister Ranjeet Kumar Dass stated on Saturday.
A marked acceleration in housing development efforts compared to previous periods under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sharma has made it possible, said Dass. The Panchayat and Rural Development Department's reforms, with a renewed focus on rural development initiatives, have played a pivotal role in this success, he added.
The Pradhan Mantri Gramin Awaas Yojana (PMGAY), previously Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY), is a social welfare programme to provide housing for the rural poor in India. A similar scheme for the urban poor was launched in 2015 as 'Housing for All by 2022.' It aims to construct about 2 crore houses in the country from 2015 to 2022. Homeless citizens, poor urban people, and citizens belonging to EWS and LIG categories are considered eligible for this scheme.
Central to state governmenyt efforts is the empowerment of rural women, with plans to establish Rs 10,000 each for 3.9 million women self-help group members as rural micro-entrepreneurs, ensuring a minimum annual income of Rs 1 lakh each, the minister added. Dass also called on newly appointed officers to dedicate themselves to rural development and welfare initiatives.
Dass cited various schemes including PMAY-G and the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme and highlighted ongoing efforts to bolster capacity in rural development administration. Dass also inaugurated new infrastructure at the Rajya Panchayat and Rural Development Institute in the Kahikuchi area on Guwahati's outskirts.
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