Raipur (Chhattisgarh): Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnudev Sai announced on Wednesday that the Central Government has approved 8,46,931 Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) houses for Chhattisgarh state. This approval is expected to fulfill the housing needs of lakhs of underprivileged families.
Addressing the media, CM Sai highlighted that the previous Congress government had put the scheme on hold for five years, leaving over 18 lakh poor families without access to the PMAY. He accused the previous administration of stalling the program to avoid giving credit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and depriving the poor of their rightful benefits.
CM Sai explained that the previous government had not deposited the 40% state share required for the scheme. Upon assuming office on December 13, 2023, the current government promptly approved the Pradhan Mantri Awas scheme in its first cabinet meeting on December 14, and made arrangements for the state’s financial contribution.
The CM mentioned that 24,000 houses have been completed for people from special backward tribes, and emphasized that the previous government had approved housing for 47,090 individuals under a separate scheme, of which only 25,000 were sanctioned. He assured that the remaining beneficiaries will also receive housing benefits.
The newly approved PMAY housing includes 6,99,331 houses under the SECC 2011 and 1,47,600 additional units. CM Sai expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Modi on behalf of the 3 crore people of Chhattisgarh.
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1.99 Lakh Houses Completed in Eight Months
CM Sai also spoke about the Pradhan Mantri Janman Yojana, noting that 24,064 houses have been approved for special backward tribes, many of which have already been completed. Since January, 1,99,000 PMAY houses have been constructed.
Under the Niyad Nelanar Yojana 'Aapka Achcha Gaon', a request has been made to Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan for over 10,000 additional houses for Naxal-affected and surrendered Naxalites in Chhattisgarh. Approval for these additional units is anticipated.
Congress Criticizes Government’s Claims
Congress state president Deepak Baij criticized the government’s claims, stating that the party had promised 18 lakh PMAY houses during the assembly elections and would approve them in the first meeting.
Baij accused the Chief Minister of shifting to his official residence only after fulfilling the housing promise and claimed that no houses had been approved by the current government.
Baij also questioned the discrepancy between the 8 lakh houses now approved by the central government and the 7.5 lakh houses the Congress government had sanctioned before the assembly elections. He demanded clarification on why the remaining 10 lakh houses had not been approved yet.
