Govt expands reach to J&K’s rural poor

Srinagar, Jan 10: The Jammu and Kashmir government has launched a large-scale initiative to identify and register homeless families and residents living in mud houses in rural areas under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G).

This exercise follows the Government of India’s approval to update the list of beneficiaries, aiming to identify additional eligible rural households as per revised exclusion criteria for availing housing assistance under the PMAY-G.

Speaking to Greater Kashmir, Director of Rural Development, Kashmir, Shabir Hussain Bhat, said, “We have already initiated steps to streamline the identification process and include more eligible households for housing assistance.”

The identification process is slated for completion by March 31, with 95 percent of the Panchayat mapping already accomplished.

Bhat said that, unlike in the past, poor and deserving families would no longer be excluded, thanks to enhanced transparency through a digital mobile application.

“The survey for identifying eligible beneficiaries will be conducted via the Awaas app, managed by pre-registered surveyors assigned to specific Gram Panchayats by block and district authorities,” he said.

The app enables Aadhaar-based e-KYC and allows citizens to perform self-surveys, ensuring comprehensive coverage and inclusion of all eligible beneficiaries.

Launched on April 1, 2016, by the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), PMAY-G aims to provide Pucca houses with basic amenities to rural households living in Kacha or dilapidated homes.

The scheme has brought hope to vulnerable families in J&K.

“In the last 4 years, around 50,000 families in J&K have received assistance under this scheme, with approximately Rs 550 crore spent,” Bhat said.