Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY)

3 Crore New Houses Approved Under PMAY: Addressing India's Housing Scarcity

Why in News: The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved government assistance for the construction of three crore rural and urban houses under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY).

Key Highlights:

1. Housing Scarcity: India faces a shortage of around 20 million houses in rural areas and three million in urban centres.

2. PMAY Approval: The Cabinet approved 3 crore new houses under PMAY, with 2 crore houses to be constructed under PMAY-Gramin and one crore under PMAY-Urban.

3. PMAY Components: PMAY has 2 components: PMAY-Gramin (rural) and PMAY-Urban (urban).

4. Budget Allocation: Both components of PMAY received ₹80,671 crores in the interim budget released in February 2024.

What is Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY)?

1. Launch: PMAY was launched in 2015 with the aim of providing affordable housing to the urban and rural poor.

2. Mission: The mission envisions "Housing for All" by 2022, marking the 75th year of India's independence.

3. Components: PMAY has two components: PMAY-Urban (PMAY-U) and PMAY-Gramin (PMAY-G).

Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) Comparison: Gramin (G) vs. Urban (U)

Feature	PMAY-Gramin (G)	PMAY-Urban (U)
Aim	Provide pucca houses with basic amenities to the rural poor	Provide affordable housing to the urban poor
Eligibility	People who do not own a house or live in kutcha/damaged houses	Urban poor (specific criteria vary by component)
Cost Sharing	The cost of the unit is shared in a 60:40 ratio between the Central and State governments in plain areas, and 90:10 in Himalayan states, north-eastern states, and the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir.	Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) except for the component of credit linked subsidy scheme (CLSS), which is implemented as a Central Sector Scheme.
Salient Features	Beneficiaries are identified using parameters from Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) 2011 data and verified by Gram Sabhas.	PMAY-U has several components, including Affordable Rental Housing Complexes (ARHCs), Global Housing Technology Challenge - India (GHTC-India), CLSS Awas Portal (CLAP), and ANGIKAAR.
Additional Notes	Focuses on rural housing	Focuses on various aspects of urban housing affordability

Key Differences:

1. Target Population: PMAY-G is exclusively for the rural poor, while PMAY-U targets the urban poor.

2. Implementation: PMAY-G focuses on house construction, while PMAY-U has a broader scope with various components addressing different aspects of urban housing.

3. Funding Structure: PMAY-G has a fixed cost-sharing ratio between the center and state, while PMAY-U is primarily a CSS except for the CLSS component.

Importance:

1. Addressing Housing Scarcity: The approval of three crore new houses under PMAY is a significant step towards addressing India's housing scarcity.

2. Affordable Housing: PMAY aims to provide affordable housing to the urban and rural poor, improving their living standards and quality of life.

3. Economic Growth: The scheme is expected to boost economic growth by generating employment opportunities and stimulating demand for construction materials.

Conclusion:
The approval of 3 crore new houses under PMAY is a significant step towards addressing India's housing scarcity and providing affordable housing to the urban and rural poor. The scheme is expected to have a positive impact on the economy and improve the living standards of millions of Indians.

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