Department of RD Makes Great Strides Towards Achieving the Goal of Housing for All

Port Blair, March 11: In a significant step towards realising the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s dream of ‘Housing for All by 2022’, the Department of Rural Development, A&N Administration has been persistently implementing the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana – Gramin, the flagship scheme of the Government of India across the Islands. The aim is to provide a pucca house with basic amenities inclusive of a hygienic cooking space to the houseless and those living in kutcha houses. Under PMAY-G, beneficiaries are provided unit assistance of Rs. 1.2 lakh along with 90 person days of unskilled labour wage through convergence with Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). Additionally, an incentive of Rs. 12,000 for construction of toilets through convergence with Swachh Bharat Mission – Gramin (SBM-G) is also provided to the beneficiaries.

In the UT of Andaman & Nicobar, the Department of Rural Development relentlessly working towards achieving the objective of the scheme. The beneficiaries have expressed their heart-felt gratitude to the Administration for helping them to realise their dream of owning a pucca house.

One of the beneficiaries of PMAY-G, Shri. C. H. Bhaskar Rao, resident of Gram Panchayat, Shaheed Dweep is very happy to have his own house through PMAY-G and expressing his happiness stated

"I almost passed 70% of my life in a small kuccha house, but with the help of PMAY-G, I will live the rest of my life in my own pucca house with all the necessary amenities."

Shri Baskar is a fisher man and does coolie work to augment to his livelihood income.

He was sanctioned a house in the financial year 2020-2021 and managed to complete the construction of house in a very short period with the assistance provided under PMAY-G.

The scheme is being implemented to promote a coactive partnership between the public and the Government. Furthermore, the construction activity under the scheme had a huge impact on the other sectors of the economy with a multiplier effect in employment generation.

The Secretary Rural Development, Shri. Suneel Anchipaka, IAS is of the firm belief that the housing scheme will play a critical role in fostering the health and well-being of people in the rural areas while ensuring safe and secure habitats for women and children. To this effect, the Directorate of RD, PRIs has undertaken this drive on a mission mode to expedite the process of construction of houses in a time bound manner.