Over 14 Lakh Houses Constructed in Gujarat in Nine Years Under PM Awas Yojana

Over the past nine years, Gujarat has made remarkable progress under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), building more than 14.25 lakh homes to uplift economically weaker sections. This initiative, launched in 2015 for urban areas and extended to rural regions in 2016-17, aims to provide affordable housing with essential amenities. The scheme has been transformative for beneficiaries like Kiranben Rathod from Khadat village, who shifted from a mud house that leaked during monsoons to a secure Pucca home.

Gujarat's Success in Implementing Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana

The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) has been a transformative initiative in Gujarat, significantly improving housing for both rural and urban communities. Introduced in 2015 (Urban) and 2016 (Rural), the scheme has successfully provided over 14.25 lakh homes, with 8.68 lakh in urban areas and 5.57 lakh in rural regions. A remarkable 64% of these homes are owned or co-owned by women, reflecting a commitment to women’s empowerment.

PMAY (Urban)

PMAY (Urban) focuses on providing affordable housing with essential amenities to economically weaker sections and lower-middle-class families in urban areas. Gujarat has exceeded its target, with over 9.78 lakh homes sanctioned and 8.68 lakh homes completed. Importantly, over 5.40 lakh houses have been approved for women or in joint ownership. The state also leads the nation in providing interest subsidies through the Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme (CLSS), benefiting over 6 lakh individuals.

Gujarat's proactive approach to urban housing includes participating in the Affordable Rental Housing Complexes (ARHCs) scheme under the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, which provides low-cost rental housing for urban poor and workers. Gujarat became the first state to convert 393 houses in Surat’s SUDA area into rental housing.

Rajkot in Gujarat was also selected as one of the six states for the Lighthouse Project under the Global Housing Technology initiative, where 1,144 houses were built using advanced monolithic concrete construction technology.

PMAY (Rural)

The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Rural) was launched to provide pucca (permanent) homes to the homeless in rural regions. Since its inception, over 5.57 lakh houses have been built in Gujarat, with an investment of ₹6,986.58 crore. In the past year alone, more than 1.31 lakh homes have been constructed under this initiative.

A significant feature of PMAY (Rural) is its focus on empowering women and marginalized communities. Approximately 3.77 lakh houses (63%) have been sanctioned in the name of women or in joint ownership, and 60% of homes have been allocated to beneficiaries from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

Additionally, the Mukhyamantri Protsahak Yojana, a 100% state-sponsored initiative, offers beneficiaries an extra incentive of ₹20,000. This scheme has benefited over 72,000 individuals with assistance amounting to ₹144 crore. Another initiative, the Bathroom Construction Assistance scheme, provides ₹5,000 to help people construct bathrooms, benefiting 75,000 individuals with ₹37.50 crore in assistance.

Awards and Recognition

Gujarat’s achievements under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana have been widely recognized. The state has received 14 awards for its performance under PMAY (Urban). These include recognition in 2017 for the Credit Link Subsidy Scheme and multiple awards in 2019 for house construction under the Beneficiary Led Construction (BLC) component. In 2022, Gujarat secured seven awards across different categories for its performance in implementing PMAY (Urban).

The rural counterpart of the scheme has also earned accolades. In 2018-19, Gujarat’s Dang district was recognized for its outstanding performance in implementing PMAY (Rural). In 2019-20, Ranavav taluka in Porbandar earned second place for overall performance. Additionally, individual contributions were recognized, with officials like Shri A.K. Shrimali from Kathlal and Sarpanch Saralaben Ninama from Vijaynagar receiving honors for their personal contributions to the success of the scheme.

Looking Ahead

Gujarat’s progress under the PMAY scheme reflects the state's commitment to improving the living conditions of its low-income population. The integration of modern technology, focus on women empowerment, and attention to both urban and rural needs have made Gujarat a leader in housing development across India. As the state continues to roll out more projects and initiatives, it is poised to meet the national target of "Housing for All" by 2024, further improving the quality of life for millions of its residents.