New Delhi: In a press conference held in New Delhi to mark the government’s completion of 100 days, Union Minister for Urban Housing Development, Shri Manohar Lal, along with Minister of State Shri Tokhan Sahu and Secretary Shri Katikithala Srinivas, highlighted the achievements and upcoming plans of the government.
The recently launched **Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) 2.0** was approved by the Union Cabinet on June 9. The ambitious plan targets the construction of 3 crore homes, with 2 crore homes allocated for rural areas and 1 crore for urban areas. On September 9, the official approval for PMAY 2.0 was given, with its implementation structured around four main verticals:
1. Land Construction
2. Housing and Partnership
3. Rental Housing
4. Subsidy Scheme
A significant addition to this version of the scheme is the inclusion of slum dwellers, allowing them to benefit from the housing plan. The government has also introduced geo-tagging technology to monitor the progress of projects.
Under this scheme, state governments can provide land on lease to individuals who do not own a home, ensuring broader access to the program. To qualify, applicants must not own any permanent house, and those from the **Economically Weaker Section (EWS)** category must have an income of up to ₹3 lakh, while those in the **Lower Income Group (LIG)** can have an income of up to ₹9 lakh. Applicants must also ensure they have not availed benefits from any other government scheme in the last 20 years.
The size of the houses under PMAY 2.0 has been increased from the previous 30 square meters to a range between 30 to 40 square meters. The scheme will also be extended to special regions such as Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu & Kashmir, and Puducherry.
The objective of PMAY 2.0 is to provide affordable and quality housing across the country, ensuring that people from all sections of society can benefit from the government’s initiative.
