Assam housing dept takes steps to streamline PMAY-U execution

Guwahati: The Department of Housing and Urban Affairs (DoHUA), Assam, the nodal authority for implementing the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U) scheme in Assam, has initiated various steps to streamline the scheme’s execution within the stipulated period.

Regarding landless indigenous beneficiaries across the state with a special emphasis on urban areas, DoHUA had moved a Cabinet memorandum for providing land to those beneficiaries.

“In this connection, on November 24, 2021, the state Cabinet approved the department’s proposal for extending the benefit under PMAY HFA (Urban) to indigenous landless persons who are in continuous occupation of government land since or before June 28, 2011. The Cabinet also decided to amend the Land Policy–2019 in this connection,” Assam minister for housing and urban affairs Ashok Singhal informed media persons here on Friday.

Accordingly, the notification was issued by the revenue and disaster management department on December 22, 2021, amending the land policy vide a notification.

“In this connection, DoHUA had viewed that the notification issued in compliance with the decision of the Cabinet requires further simplification in the procedural part to extend the benefits of PMAY- HFA (U) to the indigenous landless people,” Singhal said.

PMAY-U is a flagship mission of the central government and is being implemented across the state to ensure a pucca house for all eligible urban households (economically weaker sections/low-income group/middle-income group).

To realise the mission, it is envisaged to provide land to the landless beneficiaries of PMAY-U across the state at an affordable rate of premium.

Also, it is requested that the rate of premium to be paid for settlement needs to be rationalised considering the socio-economic status of the indigenous landless beneficiaries belonging to economically weaker sections/SC/ST/OBC/tea garden workers/ex-tea garden communities, etc.

DoHUA also sought Cabinet approval for amendment of the earlier decision taken on November 24, 2021, regarding eligibility criteria, terms and conditions for settlement of land in respect to PMAY-U house to be substituted with No Objection Certificate (NOC) to the eligible beneficiaries to be issued by deputy commissioner/SDO (civil) of concerned districts/subdivisions to avail PMAY-U benefit only.

“Finally, the meeting of the Cabinet on March 22, 2023, arrived on the landmark decision to approve the delegation of power to the deputy commissioners of districts, as a one-time measure till the completion of PMAY-U mission, for settlement of land to the landless indigenous beneficiaries of PMAY-U subject to fulfilment of conditions and other eligibility criteria and terms and conditions for settlement of land in towns shall remain the same as per Land Policy, 2019,” the minister said.

A special rate of premium (Rs 500), may be realised as a token amount from each beneficiary of PMAY-U against the land to be settled.

The quantum of land to be settled to each beneficiary of PMAY-U shall not be less than 03 (three) lessa and shall not exceed 5 (five) lessa in any case.

Assam has made considerable progress in the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban (PMAY-U) with the Centre approving 1,57,420 dwelling units for the state under the scheme to date.

Official sources here said that the Union ministry of housing and urban affairs had expressed satisfaction regarding the state’s performance in grounding, completion and submission of utilisation certificates and subsequently asked the state to submit the additional BLC (beneficiary-led construction) demand.

“Accordingly, 24,944 beneficiaries have been approved by the state-level sanctioning and monitoring committee (SLSMC) and forwarded for approval by the central sanctioning and monitoring committee (CSMC), which will meet on March 29, 2023,” the minister said.

The mission has so far received funds to the tune of Rs 1233.94 crore as central share and Rs 521.98 crore as corresponding state share.

“The first instalment has been released to 1,03,366 beneficiaries under direct benefit transfer (DBT), the second instalment has been released to 85,223 beneficiaries under DBT while the third instalment has been released to 48,426 beneficiaries under DBT,” the statement said.

As of date, 74,800 (87.76 per cent) houses are completed against the beneficiaries who received their second instalment.

“As many as 22,498 houses have been completed between September 2022 and February 2023,” it said.

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