Union Minister for Agriculture, Farmers Welfare, and Rural Development, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, announced that Maharashtra has been allocated a total of 1,329,678 houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Gramin Plus (+) for the fiscal year 2024-25.
He highlighted that the survey for this initiative has been completed, and the final list is currently being prepared. The objective is to ensure that every individual has access to a pucca (permanent) house. In Maharashtra, the goal is to construct a grand total of 1,966,767 houses within the same financial year, with an anticipated expenditure of ₹29,501 crore.
Chouhan made these statements during the Kisan Samman Diwas and the Farmers and Rural Development Beneficiaries Conference held at the Council of Agricultural Research – Agricultural Technology Application Research Institute in Pune, Maharashtra, coinciding with National Farmers Day on Monday.
He expressed optimism that the newly formed state government would successfully meet these ambitious targets within the designated timeframe, noting that Maharashtra is the first state in India to be assigned such a significant housing construction target.
The Minister emphasized that the government is striving to extend the benefits of this scheme to individuals who have yet to avail themselves of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana or whose names do not appear on the survey list.
He further explained that individuals who previously owned two-wheelers or telephones were excluded from the scheme, but under the Awas Plus (+) initiative, these individuals will now be eligible for housing assistance. According to the new survey criteria, individuals with a monthly income of ₹15,000 or those possessing more than five acres of unirrigated land will also qualify for this program.