UP tops rural housing chart; Yogi govt disburses Rs 100-bn subsidy

Pips other BJP-ruled states with 85% achievement in constructing houses under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana

Uttar Pradesh has topped the list in providing housing to the rural poor under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana by scoring more than double the national average.

Against the national average of 34%, UP has scored 85% in constructing houses under the national scheme during 2017-18. The second and third placed Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh have clocked aggregates of 47% and 45% respectively.

In UP, the beneficiaries have been provided with direct benefit transfer of Rs 100 billion under the scheme. In fact, the state of UP accounted for 25% of all rural housing units constructed during the period, while states figuring at the bottom of the list accounted for 0% of their targets.

The achievement is shot in arm for chief minister Yogi Adityanath, who had last month completed a year in office. The fact that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ruled UP has topped the list trailed by states ruled by the saffron party for the last several years, has fortified Adityanath’s stature as a go-getter with regards to central schemes.

The flagship scheme of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 20, 2016 at Agra. The states were asked to achieve the consolidated targets for 2016-17 and 2017-18 during the last financial year.

Pan India, the Centre had set the target of over 9.5 million housing units in rural areas, of which the net achievement by the states stood at a little over 3 million. Under the scheme, Rs 120,000 is given to the eligible individual.

At several occasions, Adityanath has reiterated his government was committed to providing houses to all poor in the state by 2022. Interestingly, this would also coincide with the next UP poll.

In January 2018, the Adityanath cabinet had approved another scheme to provide houses in rural areas to those exempted under the PM Awas Yojna or other government-run housing schemes. Under the new Mukhya Mantri Awas Yojna (Grameen), Rs 130,000 aid would be given to individuals inhabiting Naxal-affected areas and Rs 120,000 to other beneficiaries.

The scheme would be extended to families affected with Japanese Encephalitis or those belonging to tribal communities and subsisting without permanent houses. The state has already identified about 25,000 such beneficiaries.

According to an estimate, UP was facing shortage of almost 2.4 million housing units in the bottom of pyramid segment during 2014-15. The situation was gimmer in the urban and semi-urban centres due to large scale migration from rural areas for livelihood.

According to 2013 National Housing Board (NHB) report, India was facing shortage of over 18 million and 42 million housing units in urban and rural areas respectively. The Centre had estimated that by 2022, India would be facing deficit of almost 100 million dwelling units.