New Delhi: Rajya Sabha MP Wansuk Syiem on Thursday made a startling revelation that the entire Northeastern region, including Meghalaya, is lagging behind in implementing the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna and the pace of progress is even less than the Indira Awas Yojna which was later merged with the former by the present NDA government.
Raising the matter as ‘special mention’ in the Upper House, Wansuk said that housing is one of the basic requirements for human survival and for a person owning a house provides significant economic and social security and status in society.
For a shelter less person, a house brings about a profound social change in his existence, endowing him with an identity, thus integrating him with his immediate social milieu.
In its earlier term, the NDA government had launched many ambitious projects for the uplift of the poor and needy including the PMAY with the target of building 50 million units by 2022. But in the Northeastern region, the project has the worst ever performance so far, Wansuk said.
Ironically being closer to the centre of power, most of the Northern states and the developed states benefitted from the scheme, with more awareness of the modalities. “I urge the Centre that all the
Northeastern states including Meghalaya are given their due share both in PMAY (Urban) and PMAY (Gramin) in equitable allocation of central projects,” the MP said.
The progress of the PMAY is also lagging behind in execution. In 2015-16 against a target of 4.3 million units under the PMAY (Gramin) only 1.1. million units could be built. Under the Indira Awas Yojn
a during the two year period 2013-15, 3.48 million units were constructed. Now the trend has slowed down under the PMAY (Gramin).
In pursuance to the goal-housing for all by 2022, the rural housing scheme Indira Awas Yojana has been revamped to PMAY and approved in 2015- 2016.
Under the scheme, financial assistance is provided for construction of pucca houses to all houseless people.
