Construction resumes after 12,000 get 1st installment in J-K's Rajouri

Under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) scheme, as many as 12,000 people have received the first installment of Rs 50,000 each in Rajouri district for the construction of their houses.

"We have set a target of 100 per cent coverage. To begin with, the first installment has been given to 12,000 people of the district," said Sushil Kumar Khajuria, Assistant Commissioner Development of Rural Development department, Rajouri.

"The PMAY initiative is supporting people here to build their own houses with the help of Jammu and Kashmir administration. It is a big relief for poor as they can live safely in Pukka houses," Khajuria said.

Earlier, there were some people in the district who could not build the pucca house of their own, Panchayat officer Abdul Khabbir said adding, "The orders issued by the Centre has given a push to the development here."

"Currently, the construction of 15 houses is underway. We are hoping to convert all the Kaccha houses into the Pucca ones in the next two years," Khabbir said.

Khabbir further informed that the administration has also decided to built bathrooms with the construction of every new house under the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM).

People have received an amount of Rs 50,000 as the first installment under the PMAY scheme and will be receiving an additional amount of Rs 12,000 under SBM, Khabbir added.

Mohammad Razak, one of the beneficiaries in the Rajouri district had a complaint of living under thatched roofs, especially during rains.

After receiving the first installment, Razak said, "The Jammu and Kashmir administration has supported us by giving money to construct concrete houses."

Sarpanch for Dhangri Panchayat Dheeraj Sharma informed that the Jammu district has the maximum target to build the houses.

Elaborating on the PMAY scheme, Sharma said, "The scheme works at various levels for the beneficiaries. They receive their first installment which (financially) helps them to begin the construction work of their house. And with time, they get the remaining installments."

After this, a Gram Rojgar Sevak (GRS) visits and reviews the site of construction, Sharma said adding, "It not only helps us to keep an eye on the development and usage of given money but also ensures that the beneficiary is receiving the installment amount on time."

During COVID-19, the construction work was halted. Now, the construction work has resumed after the lockdown guidelines were eased, Sharma added.