Centre approves 8 lakh PMAY houses in Chhattisgarh; CM seeks homes for surrendered Naxals

Raipur: The Centre has sanctioned construction of more than 8 lakh houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna (PMAY) in rural areas of Chhattisgarh, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai said on Wednesday.

The CM also informed that his government, which assumed office nine months ago, has requested the Centre to approve houses under PMAY separately for surrendered Naxalites and people affected by Maoist violence in the state.

Slamming the previous Congress government in Chhattisgarh (2018-23), he alleged it failed to implement the scheme in the state, as a result 18 lakh families were deprived of pucca (concrete) houses.

"The Bhupesh Baghel-led Congress dispensation had been inactive in implementing the housing scheme and therefore 18 lakh families could not get homes under it. The Baghel government did not disburse the state's share of 40 per cent for the scheme as the 'PM' word was linked to it and they were scared the credit will go to the BJP government (at the Centre) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi," Sai alleged.

The Congress government snatched the rights of 18 lakh poor families, he charged.

The newly-elected BJP government, in its first cabinet meeting, approved the sanctioning of 18 lakh houses to beneficiaries in rural areas under PMAY (a key promise made by the saffron party ahead of 2023 assembly polls) and made arrangements for the state's share, said the CM, who assumed office in December last year.

On Tuesday, the Centre sanctioned 8,46,931 houses for construction under PMAY in Chhattisgarh, Sai said, expressing gratitude to PM Modi for the decision.

"The previous Congress government had launched its own housing scheme ahead of the assembly elections and sanctioned houses to 47,090 families. Our government will not be partial to them and has included them, too, in the new housing scheme," he said.

The beneficiaries were given first instalment of Rs 25,000 each (for house construction) by the previous government and now they are being given the next instalments, the BJP leader maintained, adding "Our government has shown generosity towards these 47,090 families." Sai informed that his government has requested the Centre to approve houses under PMAY separately for surrendered Naxalites and people affected by Maoist violence.

"We have requested Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan (who holds agriculture and rural development portfolios) to sanction houses separately under PMAY for surrendered Naxalites and those affected by Maoist violence, which they have agreed to consider, Sai said.

The BJP government in the state was committed to construct 10,000 houses for these people, the CM opined.

The state government has launched a new scheme, 'Niyad Nellanar' (your good village), under which development work is being carried out in interior villages falling within 5-km radius of security camps, he said.

Under the PM Janjati Adivasi Nyay Maha Abhiyaan (PM-JANMAN) scheme, aimed at improving the quality of life for Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), 24,064 houses were sanctioned and most of them have been completed in the state, the chief minister added.