Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin)

• 17 Sep 2022

For Prelims: Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin), Ministry of Rural Development, Below the Poverty Line (BPL), Socio-Economic Caste Census 2011, Gram Sabha, and geo-tagging.

For Mains: Significance of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin).

Why in News?

Recently, the Union Ministry of Rural Development has come up with penalties for any further delay in completing the flagship rural household scheme — Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin).

Why is the Need for Imposing Penalties?

• About:
  • The penalty would be levied on the state government. If the sanction of the house is delayed for more than one month from the date of issue of the target, the State government will be penalised Rs 10 per house for the first month of delay and Rs 20 per house for each subsequent month of delay.
  • Similarly, if the first instalment due to the beneficiary is delayed for more than seven days from the date of sanction, then the State governments will have to pay Rs 10 per house per week of delay.
  • No penalty would be imposed if the central funds are not available with the State.
• Need:
  • To Reorient Focus: Due to Covid-19, there was sluggishness in the implementation of the scheme, therefore by imposing penalties the central government is ensuring that the States pay more attention to the programme.
  • Issues with State Government: West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Odisha along Assam are the leading four laggard States who are far behind their targets.
    • Further, the West Bengal government repackaged the scheme as “Bangla Awas Yojana” and due to this reason, the central government withheld funds meant for the scheme.

What do we Know about Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna Gramin?

• Ministry Involved: Ministry of Rural development.
• Aim: To provide a pucca house with basic amenities to all rural families, who are homeless or living in kutcha or dilapidated houses by the end of March 2022.
  • To help rural people Below the Poverty Line (BPL) in construction of dwelling units and upgradation of existing unserviceable kutcha houses by providing assistance in the form of a full grant.
• Beneficiaries: People belonging to SCs/STs, freed bonded labourers and non-SC/ST categories, widows or next-of-kin of defence personnel killed in action, ex-servicemen and retired members of the paramilitary forces, disabled persons and minorities.
• Selection of Beneficiaries: Through a three-stage validation - Socio-Economic Caste Census 2011, Gram Sabha, and geo-tagging.
• Cost Sharing: The cost of unit assistance is shared between Central and State Governments in the ratio of 60:40 in plain areas and 90:10 for North Eastern and hilly states.
• Features:
  • The unit assistance has been increased from Rs. 70,000 to Rs. 1.20 lakh in plain and from Rs. 75,000 to Rs. 1.30 lakh in hilly states.
  • The assistance for construction of toilets shall be leveraged through convergence with Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin (SBM-G), MGNREGS or any other dedicated source of funding.
• Performance:
  • Under the scheme, the government has set the target of 2.95 crore houses and by August 2022, 2.02 crore houses have been constructed.

UPSC Civil Services Examination Previous Year Question (PYQ)

Prelims

Q. How does the National Rural Livelihood Mission seek to improve livelihood options of rural poor? (2012)

1. By setting up a large number of new manufacturing industries and agribusiness centres in rural areas
2. By strengthening ‘self-help groups’ and providing skill development
3. By supplying seeds, fertilizers, diesel pump-sets and micro-irrigation equipment free of cost to farmers

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

Ans: (b)

• The National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) is a poverty alleviation project implemented by the Ministry of Rural Development. This scheme is focused on promoting self-employment and organization of rural poor. The basic idea behind this programme is to organize the poors into SHGs (Self Help Groups) and make them capable for selfemployment.
• Pillars of NRLM:
  • Enhancing and expanding existing livelihood options of the poor,
  • Building skills for the job market outside,
  • Nurturing self-employed and entrepreneurs Hence, 2 is correct.
• The Mission neither focuses on setting up a large number of new manufacturing industries, nor agribusiness centres in rural areas. Its objective is not to supply seeds, fertilizers, diesel pump-sets and micro-irrigation equipment. Hence, 1 and 3 are not correct. Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

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Mains

Q. The basis of providing urban amenities in rural areas (PURA) is rooted in establishing connectivity. Comment (2013)

Source: TH