MONTHS AFTER the Union Ministry of Rural Improvement (MoRD) flagged scarcity of funds for implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna-Gramin (PMAY-G), the Union Ministry of Finance has authorized an advance of Rs 13,000 crore for the agricultural housing scheme from the Contingency Fund of India, it’s learnt.
The Rs 13,000-crore tranche is over and above the outlay of Rs 20,000 crore supplied for PMAY-G within the Union Price range 2022-23.
The federal government has set a goal of constructing 52.78 lakh homes beneath the scheme in 2022-23.
Within the first seven months (April-October 2022), the Rural Improvement Ministry has utilised Rs 16,785 crore – about 84 per cent – of the Rs 20,000 crore beneath the PMAY-G scheme. The ministry’s different schemes like PMGSY (Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna), which has virtually equal budgetary allocation (Rs 19,000 crore) has been capable of utilise solely 40 per cent, and the Nationwide Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) solely 25 per cent in the identical interval. Underneath NREGS, a requirement pushed rural job assure scheme, 74 per cent of the allotted funds have been utilised within the first seven months.
With a number of states demanding further funds for building of rural homes, the MoRD had approached the Ministry of Finance approach again in June for extra allocation. On June 8, 2022, Nagendra Nath Sinha, Secretary, Rural Improvement, wrote to Finance Secretary TV Somanathan and highlighted that the budgetary allocation of Rs 20,000 crore was “not ample” to satisfy the “anticipated” demand of the states and Union Territories (UTs) to assemble 52.78 lakh rural homes beneath the PMAY-G throughout the yr, The Indian Categorical has learnt. Sinha requested him to supply an extra Rs 28,422 crore.
Underneath the PMAY-G, a monetary help of Rs 1.20 lakh in plain areas and Rs 1.30 lakh in hilly states is supplied to a beneficiary. As per the scheme’s pointers, the monetary burden of implementation of the scheme is shared by the Centre and tate in a ratio of 60:40 in plain areas and 90:10 for hilly states (particular class states which incorporates 8 North Jap States, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and J&Ok). Within the UTs, together with Ladakh, the Centre bears 100 per cent of the expenditure on the implementation of the agricultural housing scheme.
The current NDA authorities, in its first tenure, had restructured the erstwhile rural housing scheme and launched the PMAY-G with impact from April 1, 2016, with an purpose of offering “Housing for All” by 2022. A goal of building of two.95 crore PMAY-G homes by March 2024 has been set, of which 2.07 crore rural homes have been constructed.
High spender in rural growth
The PM Awas Yojana has been the highest spender —higher than even the job assure scheme, NREGS — within the rural growth ministry within the first seven months this yr. It sought further funds within the first quarter itself, and has now acquired greater than two-third of the cash allotted when the Price range was offered.
“In truth, the goal of building of two.02 crore rural homes beneath the PMAY-G until August 15, 2022 has been achieved,” stated a supply.
To satisfy the March 2024 goal, 52.78 lakh homes in 2022-23 and 57.34 lakh homes in monetary yr 2023-24 have to be constructed. As per the MoRD estimate, Central share of Rs 48,422 crore can be required to finish the goal of 52.78 lakh homes in 2022-23. Nonetheless, solely Rs 20,000 crore was allotted in Price range 2022-23.
The Price range paperwork present that out of Rs 20,000 crore, solely Rs 15,999.99 crore was allotted for the scheme part, whereas Rs 4,000 crore was put aside for curiosity fee to NABARD within the type of further budgetary assets.
Sinha wrote once more to Somanathan on October 18, 2022 and highlighted that the budgetary allocation of the PMAY-G has at all times been “a lot decrease than the required funds yearly” and requested him to supply no less than Rs 15,000 crore earlier than the subsequent Supplementary Calls for for Grants in order that the Central share will be launched to the states. The Ministry of Finance lastly knowledgeable the MoRD about approval of an advance of Rs 13,000 crore from the Contingency Fund of India on October 31, 2022.