Celebrating Awaas Diwas 2024: Empowering Rural India through Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin

The Ministry of Rural Development is celebrating Awaas Diwas 2024, the 8th anniversary of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Gramin (PMAY-G) today. The visionary Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) was launched by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on 20 November 2016 in Agra, Uttar Pradesh. This flagship scheme underscores the government’s unwavering commitment to achieving Housing for All.

Key Features and Achievements of PMAY-G

• PMAY-G aims to provide pucca houses with essential amenities to all eligible houseless households and those living in kutcha or dilapidated houses by March 2029. The scheme got extension with 2 crore more houses with a total outlay of ₹3,06,137 crore for FY 2024-29 and ₹54,500 crore allocated for FY 2024-25 to implement the scheme, this initiative continues to transform rural housing.
• Originally targeting 2.95 crore houses to be completed by 2023-24, the scheme now aims to construct an additional 2 crore houses, addressing evolving rural housing needs. To enhance inclusivity, exclusion criteria have been reduced from 13 to 10, removing conditions such as ownership of a fishing boat or motorized two-wheeler, and raising the income threshold to ₹15,000 per month.
• The minimum house size is set at 25 sq. mt., including a hygienic cooking space, with ₹1.20 lakh assistance in plain areas and ₹1.30 lakh in North-Eastern and Hill States. Payments are made efficiently through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), with over 10 lakh beneficiaries receiving their first instalment this year via a single click by the Hon’ble Prime Minister in Bhubaneswar.
• Under this scheme, the beneficiaries are identified through SECC 2011 and Awaas+ (2018) surveys, verified by Gram Sabhas. Over the last decade, the permanent waiting list of SECC 2011 has been saturated, and more than 20 states’ Awaas+ 2018 lists are also completed. The Ministry has directed states to finish surveys by November 30, 2024, and sanction housing for eligible families by December 31^st, 2024, with targeted houses to be completed within a year.
• Technological innovation plays a pivotal role here. The Awaas+ 2024 mobile app ensures transparent beneficiary identification with Aadhaar-based face authentication and 3D house designs in collaboration with the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI), enabling beneficiaries to choose suitable designs.
• Scheme has placed a special focus on women empowerment, with 74% of sanctioned houses owned by women solely or jointly. The scheme now aspires to provide 100% ownership to women. Skilled employment has also been a priority, with almost 3 lakh rural masons trained in disaster-resilient construction, boosting their employability.
• PMAY-G converges with schemes like MGNREGA, SBM-G, Jal Jeevan Mission, and Surya Ghar, ensuring beneficiaries access water, toilets, LPG, electricity, and solar energy. Special focus is given to landless beneficiaries, with 2.88 lakh houses and land provided in the past decade.
• The scheme reserves minimum 60% of targets for SC/ST households, with 59.58 lakh SC houses and 58.57 lakh ST houses completed. 5% of the target is reserved for differently-abled beneficiaries, and another 5% prioritizes housing for families affected by natural disasters, such as the Fani Cyclone in Odisha.
•  Another crucial initiative for fulfilling the objective of “Housing for All” is the DharatiAaba Tribal Village Utkarsh Abhiyan which focuses on tribal development, covering 63,843 villages, benefiting over 5 crore tribal people across 30 States/UTs. This initiative addresses housing and critical gaps in social infrastructure, health, education, and livelihoods, with 72.31 lakh tribal families already benefitting.

PMAY-G is more than just a housing scheme, it is a movement to empower rural India, promote social equity and uplift marginalized communities. By building not just houses but stronger, more resilient lives, the scheme continues to lay the foundation for a prosperous and inclusive future.