New Delhi, May 28 (H.S.): Union Minister for Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday released funds amounting to ₹10,021.42 crore to 12 states under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) through video conferencing. Union Minister of State for Rural Development Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani was also present on the occasion. The states for which funds were approved include Assam, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh.
The programme, conducted through video conferencing, was attended by Uttar Pradesh Rural Development Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, Rajasthan Minister Kirodi Lal Meena, Assam Minister Atul Bora, Jharkhand Minister Deepika Pandey Singh, Secretary of the Ministry of Rural Development Rohit Kansal, along with senior officials from the Centre and various state governments.
Interacting with the media, Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan stated that against the target of 4.95 crore houses under the scheme, approvals have so far been granted for 3.91 crore houses, while construction of more than 3.05 crore houses has already been completed.
He said that the Central Government is continuously working to improve the standard of living of rural families through various welfare schemes.
The minister noted that housing construction work is often affected in cases where poor families do not possess land. In such situations, he said, states should undertake special initiatives to provide land and ensure all necessary assistance.
He urged states to ensure the timely disposal of pending grievances, expedite the completion of houses currently under construction, and guarantee the prompt utilisation of the funds released. He further stated that some states have not yet completed approvals in line with the targets for 2024–25 and 2025–26, and these should be completed by June 30, 2026.
During the video conference, the Union Minister also called upon every beneficiary and every PMAY-G unit to plant at least one sapling under the “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” campaign on the occasion of World Environment Day on June 5.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
