Mohla, Oct 15 : The picture of Mohla, Manpur, and Ambagarh Chowki districts of Chhattisgarh, once considered Naxal strongholds, is changing. The reason is that the benefits of government schemes are now reaching every household.

The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), a significant government scheme for the poor, is turning the dream of owning a home into reality. Thousands of families in the Naxal-affected districts of Mohla, Manpur, and Ambagarh Chowki have received their dream homes through the scheme.

It has proved to be a foundation stone for development. This scheme of the Central Government is nothing less than a boon for the poor, and beneficiaries are thankful to the government.

Babita, one of the beneficiaries, told IANS, 'We used to live in a mud house, where water leaks were a real problem during the rainy season. Because of the kutcha house, we faced issues like leaking roofs and damp walls. However, under the PMAY scheme, we received assistance. Now, we live in a permanent house. Thanks to the government!'

Beneficiary Kamal Singh Yadav also added, 'We also lived in a mud house where water leaked during the rainy season. The government gave us financial help to build a pucca house. We built it, and now we live comfortably. We don't face any such problems anymore.'

Launched on April 1, 2016, the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana ' Gramin (PMAY-G) is the Centre's flagship mission under the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) and is implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA). PMAY-G aims to provide a pucca house with basic amenities to all houseless households and those living in kutcha or dilapidated houses.

The scheme addresses the rural housing shortage and bridges the housing deficit in rural areas, contributing significantly to the goal of "Housing for All."

Beneficiaries are identified using Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) data and verified by Gram Sabhas.

The Union Cabinet has approved the implementation of PMAY-G for the period 2024'25 to 2028'29, with a target of constructing an additional 2 crore houses.

The ministry has allocated 84,37,139 houses for the year 2024'25 across 18 states, including Chhattisgarh. Of these, a target of 46,56,765 houses has been allocated between December 2024 and January 2025 to nine states. As of February 2, 2025, 39,82,764 houses have already been sanctioned.

/IANS