Yogi govt takes up 'Housing For All' mission in UP in a big way

Lucknow, Aug 5 :  The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has launched the Narendra Modi's ambitious Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna in a big way which can make a difference for the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls in the state. With an aim for 'Housing for all by 2022', the state government in coordination with the Centre has already made certain records of sorts by launching the scheme in a big way in the state during is just four month of the rule. UP has become the first state of the country which has set the target to provide houses for poor under PMGAY within eight months against the standard 12 months set by Union Government. “We can understand the agony of a poor who does not have a pucca house. He braves rain in monsoon and biting cold in winter in this thatched roof houses. The Yogi government has decided to provide houses within eight months from the start of construction where as the Government of India norms is of 12 months,” Minister of State for Rural Development Mahendra Singh told  here today. He said that it is not a verbal order. 'We have got a GO released in this regard so that officials know that we mean business.' The first lot of 5,73,000 houses will be allotted to beneficiaries by December this year. Under the Government of India scheme, 9,70,108 houses were allotted to UP in last two fiscals of 2016-17 and 2017-18. But construction of houses did not gather momentum as major part of this period was governed by Samajwadi Party which had launched its own flagship project of 'Lohia Awas Yojana'. “By March 2018, we will construct all these houses and allot them to their beneficiaries. Over 6,62,000 houses have been registered so far. We had received complaints about bogus registration. There are around 10,000 of them. We have identified those persons and removed them from the beneficiary’s list,” the Minister said. The Modi government has launched a campaign to provide houses to all people by 2022. The Yogi Government has complimented it by saying that it will implement Modi government’s policies in letter and in spirit. UP is expected to build over 27 lakh houses for poor by 2022. The total cost of a house is Rs 1.20 lakh. According to GOI guidelines, the money will be given to beneficiary in three equal installments of Rs 40,000 each. The UP Government has, however, made a change after consultation with the Centre. The allocation of fund will be in three unequal installment of Rs 40,000 followed by second installment of Rs 70,000 and last installment would be Rs 10,000. Besides this, the owner of the house is given Rs 12,000 additional fund for construction of toilet and as he would be busy in construction of his house and will lose employment through MNREGA, the beneficiary will get additional Rs 15,759. “These houses would be constructed on the set pattern by the beneficiary himself. As the owner is himself responsible for construction material as well as arranging labour we believe the construction quality would be good. Therefore, there are no guidelines for inspection,” the Minister said. The set guidelines is that beneficiary should be from BPL. He should not have a 'pucca' house, or vehicle. But he should be owner of land. 'In the next phase, we are planning to give free electricity connection to these families. These people will also be entitled for free LPG connection,' Mr Singh said. UNI