Srinagar, July 03: In a historic move, the Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha, announced that the Union Territory administration has approved the allotment of 5 marlas of land to landless families for the construction of their houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna (PMAY). A total of 2,711 plots have already been allocated as part of this landmark decision.
Addressing a press conference at Rajbhawan Srinagar, LG Sinha declared that this day marks a new beginning for thousands of landless families in Jammu Kashmir. He emphasized that the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna, launched by PM Narendra Modi, aims to provide housing for all, and J&K is committed to ensuring that no eligible family is left behind.
“So far, we have successfully allotted land to 2,711 landless families, and more beneficiaries will be covered in the near future. Additionally, we have identified 1,99,550 homeless families, out of which 1,44,000 have already received the necessary approvals, and the rest will also be provided housing. Every homeless person in the UT will be given a house,” LG Sinha stated.
The Lieutenant Governor further revealed that the Rural Development Department has identified 1.83 lakh families without their own houses and is actively working to address their housing needs. He stressed that this decision not only fulfils their dream of owning a home but also opens up new avenues for better livelihoods and education for their children, propelling them towards overall development.
“This path-breaking decision marks a golden chapter in our pursuit of social justice, equality, and equal opportunities for all citizens. We are committed to inclusive development, and with this move, we are acknowledging the immense contribution of the poor and downtrodden in nation-building,” added LG Sinha.
When asked about the eligibility criteria, the LG clarified that the scheme does not discriminate based on caste or religion, and only those meeting the proper conditions will be considered. The land and homes will be provided to eligible individuals within their respective Panchayats, ensuring a fair and transparent allocation process.
Meanwhile, the LG Sinha also provided updates on the ongoing Amarnath Yatra, stating that it is progressing smoothly, and the pilgrims have expressed high satisfaction. To further improve traffic management, a comprehensive plan will be implemented in the next two days.
Later, the Lieutenant Governor reassured that the government remains sensitive to the needs of the poor and that land will be allotted as per the law, without adversely impacting the less privileged sections of society.
Background of the Scheme
– The Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, has allocated an additional target of 1,99,550 houses to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) for the fiscal year 2023-24. This allocation aims to achieve saturation of the Awaas+ list (PWL 2018-19).
– The Ministry has set a deadline of 30th June 2023 for sanctioning these houses and a completion deadline of March 31, 2024.
– To expedite the process, Block Level Camps were organized across the Union Territory from 4th to 10th June 2023. These camps aimed to collect the necessary documents from households enlisted in the Awaas+ PWL, including bank details, Aadhaar card, MGNREGA job card, ration card, revenue documents, phone number, and a declaration of eligibility.
– As of now, 1,44,385 houses have been registered and 1,41,371 houses have been sanctioned to eligible households enlisted in the Awaas+ PWL against the allocated target.
– During the field verification of beneficiaries in the aforementioned Block Level Camps, it has been reported that 2,711 households enlisted in the Awaas+ PWL are landless. There are many more who were unable to submit their documents due to reasons like seasonal migration. If the Government of India extends the timeline, this number is expected to increase by a couple of thousands. Otherwise, these households will be considered in the next phase of the scheme.
– As per the guidelines of the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana (Gramin), the Ministry of Rural Development provides 25 square meters (approximately one marla) of land to landless beneficiaries for the construction of PMAY houses. However, to ensure sufficient land availability to support their basic living, it has been decided to allot five marlas of land to the following categories of individuals who are part of the Awaas+ Permanent Waiting List (PWL) 2018-19: landless individuals occupying state/forest or any other land where construction is not permitted.
