Guwahati: Another display of providing hassle free government welfare schemes to the needy citizens of the country by the double engine government in Assam. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on December 9(Tuesday) ceremonially distributed the sanction letters to 3,25,234 beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana–Gramin (PMAY-G) at a state-level event held at Gandhi Maidan, Boko, in Kamrup district.
Speaking at the programme, the Chief Minister said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched PMAY-G to ensure housing for economically weaker families across the country. He said Assam has been working continuously to fulfil this goal. CM Sarma recalled that the state government had distributed sanction letters to 5 lakh beneficiaries on May 19, 2022. After that, the first installment was released to 2 lakh beneficiaries in May 2022 and to another 3 lakh beneficiaries in February 2023. He also noted that in July 2023, the government facilitated Griha Pravesh of more than 3 lakh PMAY beneficiaries in the state on a single day.
The Chief Minister mentioned the inauguration of a PMAY-G colony with 113 houses at Namchang Tea Estate cluster in Naharkatia in March 2024. He said that on March 9, 2024, Prime Minister Modi made history by dedicating 5,67,083 completed PMAY homes from Meleng–Meteli Pathar in Jorhat. He added that after distributing sanction letters to 3,88,358 beneficiaries on March 19 this year, today’s approval of 3,25,234 new beneficiaries marks another milestone for PMAY in Assam.
CM Sarma said the government aims to ensure that every family living in a kutcha house gets a pucca home. Geo-tagging of eligible households has been completed and new beneficiary lists will soon be prepared in gram sabhas. The Chief Minister said that the state government has been working steadily for the welfare of poor and middle-class families. Unlike the earlier Indira Awas Yojana, which provided much smaller help, PMAY now gives assistance of over Rs. 1.5 lakh along with support for toilets. He said the scheme has given relief and dignity to poor families by ensuring safe housing.
Referring to other welfare initiatives, he mentioned the monthly Orunodoi assistance of Rs. 1,250 and the supply of dal, sugar and salt at Rs. 117 to ration card holders, which together provide important support to families. CM Sarma reiterated that the government wants to create a system where poor families can easily access all welfare schemes without corruption. He said that through various central and state schemes, every poor family in Assam receives benefits worth nearly Rs. 3,000 per month. He urged families to use their savings for their children’s education, saying, “If we want to build Assam’s future, we must educate our children. We want every child to become a strong human resource for the state”.
Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Ranjeet Kumar Dass, MLAs Hemanga Thakuria and Nandita Das, GMC Mayor Mrigen Sarania, Additional Chief Secretary B. Kalyan Chakravarty, P&RD Commissioner Keerthi Jalli, Kamrup District Commissioner Deva Kumar Mishra and several senior officials were present at the event.
