New Delhi, May 28 (IANS) Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday released a “mother sanction” of Rs 10,021.42 crore to 12 states under the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G), in a landmark step towards realising the vision of ‘Housing for All’ by March 2029.

The sanction was released via video conferencing to the states of Assam, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh.

Addressing the event, Chouhan said that against the target of 4.95 crore houses under the scheme, approvals for 3.91 crore houses have already been accorded and construction of more than 3.05 crore houses has been completed.

Rohit Kansal, Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development, informed that a “mother sanction” of Rs 11,121 crore had already been released earlier for FY 2026-27 and an additional sanction of over Rs 10,021 crore has now been released. He added that the housing target for the current year is three times higher than last year and would be achieved in a time-bound manner through coordinated efforts of the Centre and States.

The minister said that “Prime Minister Narendra Modi is committed to ensuring that no poor person in the country lives in a kutcha house. With this vision in mind, Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin was launched in 2016″.

“When a house is good, life becomes easier. We are not merely constructing houses, but creating homes supported by basic amenities such as roads, electricity, drinking water, LPG connections and toilets,” he remarked.

Chouhan also appreciated the innovations being undertaken by states. He said several states have introduced commendable initiatives such as helplines, grievance redressal systems, rainwater harvesting, livelihood enhancement through Self-Help Groups and mason training programmes, which have accelerated the achievement of the scheme’s targets.

Highlighting women empowerment, the minister stated that nearly 75 per cent of the houses sanctioned under PMAY-G are either in the name of women or under joint ownership, thereby strengthening women’s dignity, self-respect and social security.

Chouhan further noted that housing construction is affected in cases where poor families do not possess land. He urged states to take special initiatives to provide land and ensure necessary support for such beneficiaries.

He also called upon states to ensure timely disposal of pending grievances, expedite completion of houses under construction and ensure prompt utilisation of the sanctioned funds.

He further observed that some states are yet to complete approvals in line with their 2024-25 and 2025-26 targets and urged them to complete the process by June 30, 2026.

The minister appealed to every PMAY-G beneficiary to plant at least one sapling under the campaign ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ on the occasion of World Environment Day on June 5.

–IANS

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