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Congress-Led Telangana Govt, Adopts Centre’s Housing Scheme

For the first time, the Congress-led Telangana government has agreed to adopt the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) from the financial year 2024-25. The state has requested approval to construct 1.57 lakh houses under the NDA government’s rural housing scheme.

Telangana’s government expressed its willingness in a letter sent by the state’s Principal Secretary of the Department of Transport, Roads & Buildings, K. S. Sreenivasa Raju, to the Secretary of the Union Ministry of Rural Development, Giriraj Singh, on March 16.

This marks a shift from the previous government’s stance under BRS leadership, which never implemented the PMAY-G since its launch nationwide on April 1, 2016. Telangana was the only state that chose not to participate in the scheme.

In the fiscal year 2016-17, the Central government allotted Rs 190 crore to the Telangana government, aiming to construct 76,000 houses. However, the state administration did not execute the scheme. According to reports, the state government opted not to adhere to the guidelines set by the Centre during that time.

In a letter dated March 16, the state government informed the Ministry of Rural Development that based on the Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) 2011 data, there are 2.86 lakh families in Telangana without homes.

The state government further mentioned in its letter that it will follow all the rules of PMAY (G), including branding. They also requested the quick approval of 1,57,500 houses under PMAY-G, highlighting it as a significant priority.

It has been revealed that the Centre is inclined to approve the implementation of the PMAY-G scheme in the state.

However, the allotment of houses to the state will be from the 2 crore additional PMAY-G houses announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her interim Budget for 2024-25. The distribution of these extra houses will begin in the ongoing financial year.

The Telangana government’s decision to implement the PMAY-G coincides with the ambitious housing agenda set by the newly formed Congress administration, which aims to build 25 lakh houses. In the current fiscal year, the state plans to construct 4.5 lakh houses, including 1.57 lakh houses in rural areas, under the Beneficiary-Led Construction (BLC) of the PMAY-G.

In collaboration with states, PMAY-G, a flagship scheme of the Central government, aims to provide solid houses with basic amenities, covering individuals in rural regions who lack homes or reside in makeshift and deteriorated structures.

Each beneficiary receives financial assistance up to Rs 1.20 lakh in plain areas and Rs 1.30 lakh in challenging terrains, hilly states, and tribal and backward districts under the Integrated Action Plan.

The funds are shared between the Centre and states in a 60:40 ratio, with a target of constructing 2.95 crore houses by March 2024.

As of April 3, 2024, while the mandated target is 2.95 crore houses, various States and Union Territories have sanctioned 2,94,78,374 houses to beneficiaries, with construction completed for 2.59 crore houses.

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