State tops region in giving houses to landless families

Ravi S Singh

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 14

Haryana is ahead in the region regarding the number of houses sanctioned to landless households under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) as on July 8, according to Union Rural Development Minister Narendra Singh Tomar.

This information is bound to be a shot in the arm for Manohar Lal Khattar-led BJP government in the poll-bound state.

On the other hand, Punjab tops the list among states in the region in terms of the number of landless beneficiaries who are yet to be allotted land during the corresponding period, till July 8.

The Union Minister gave this information in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. He said the matter of providing land to landless PMAY-G beneficiaries was reviewed regularly by the ministry with states and union territories, including at the highest level.

Outside Parliament, the Union government had often been criticised for being apathetic to the issue of rural development. Opposition parties had dubbed its claims of achievements in this matter as a sham.

Under the scheme, the Centre provided Rs 1.2 lakh for construction of houses in plains and Rs 1.3 lakh in hilly areas or regions with difficult topography like deserts. All rural areas except Delhi and Chandigarh were covered under it.

State governments and administrations of union territories were responsible for providing land to landless PMAY-G beneficiaries from government land or any other land, including public land, panchayat common land, community land and land belonging to other local authorities.