New Delhi [India], August 19 : Union Minister of Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan attacked the Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday for allegedly not giving more than 5 lakh houses to the people under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin), despite receiving Rs 608 crore from the Centre.
Saying that injustice is happening to poor people, Minister Chouhan alleged that the Tamil Nadu state government has not given 2 lakh 15 thousand houses to the people, and additionally 3 lakh 15 thousand have not been constructed despite allocations in budget. The rural development minister further alleged that the state government in 2024 did not carry out a required survey to identify people in need of proper houses.
Answering question by Lavu Sri Krishan Devarayalu, TDP MP from Andhra Pradesh, on PM Awas Yojana in Tamil Nadu.
"It pains me to say this, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government has allocated budget for making houses for poor people in Tamil Nadu. But this is the height of injustice that for more than a year, more than 2 lakh 15 thousand houses have not been given to the people," Shivraj Singh Chouhan mentioned in Lok Sabha during the question hour.
"Around 3 lakh 10 thousand houses have not been completed, the money has been given, Rs 608 crore have been given, it is sitting in the account of Tamil Nadu government but they are not accepting the houses, not constructing them," he added.
Amid continuing protests by the Opposition, with multiple MPs sloganeering and protesting at the well of the House, Telegu Desam Party (TDP) MP Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu asked Union Minister Chouhan about the number of houses sanctioned, budget allocation and any planned surveys under the PM Awas Yojana in Tamil Nadu.
"PM Awas Gramin was been a huge success, it has given 3 benefits, to provide houses for the poor, provide work for the rural population, and to revive and boost role of economy," he said. Asking about the scheme's implementation, TDP MP added, "How many houses have been sanctioned, what is the budget allocated in Tamil Nadu and if any new survey has been done to identify the new houses."
Amid continued protests and sloganeering by the Opposition benches, Chouhan continued, "We have given the money for houses of people, but Tamil Nadu government does not accept the houses. This is injustice, poor people have been betrayed."
Saying that a survey to identify people having 'kaccha houses' and in need of the Awas Yojana was to be carried out in 2024, however the state government failed to do the survey too. Folding his hands in front of the state government. Chouhan urged them to stop the "injustice to poor," give the nearly 50 thousand houses which were to be given in the 2018 Awaas+ list.
"50,815 houses in the 2018 Awaas+ list have not been given, what is their problem? Poor people's houses are being made, do they have a problem with that Modi's name will come forward? The problem is that in 2024 a survey was going to happen to help identify people with 'kaccha houses' and give them a proper house, but Tamil Nadu government did not even do the survey. This is an injustice to the poor. I fold my hands to Tamil Nadu government, give the people their houses," the Union Minister said.
The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Rural (PMAY - Rural), launched on November 2016, aims to provide housing for the poorest segments of society. Beneficiaries are selected through a rigorous three-stage validation process that includes the Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC 2011) and Awaas+ (2018) surveys, Gram Sabha approvals, and geo-tagging.
Originally targeting 2.95 crore houses to be completed by 2023-24, the scheme got extended with 2 crore more houses, with a total outlay of Rs 3,06,137 crore for FY 2024-29 and Rs 54,500 crore allocated for FY 2024-25.