Thiruvananthapuram: Few takers for housing scheme under PMAY

Thiruvananthapuram: The Corporation is faced with an unusual situation in which there are not enough takers for a housing scheme under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna (PMAY). On the other hand, there has been a better response for another scheme under PMAY. Foreseeing that there would be many beneficiaries, the Corporation had in fact set a limit of allowing only 30 beneficiaries in each ward for the housing scheme. But from the 100 wards, the Corporation has not got 3,000 applications, for the beneficiary-led individual house construction scheme.

From Muttada, the ward of Welfare Committee Chairperson Geetha R Gopal, only 13 people were interested. There are not too many beneficiaries from wards like Kuravankonam, Kowdiar, Sasthamangalam and Peroorkada. A more enthusiastic response has been received from beneficiaries in coastal wards. When asked if this could be because people were not aware of the scheme, Geetha said, “We have done door-to-door campaigning. The news about the scheme has reached everyone,” she says.

Under this scheme, only Rs 3 lakh for the construction of a new house is given. Beneficiaries need to contribute Rs 50,000 in this scheme. The Central government contributes Rs 1.5 lakh, while the state and local bodies give Rs 50,000 each, for each house. The councillor’s surmise is that most people might be waiting for the Rs 6 lakh scheme also under PMAY. The Rs 6 lakh scheme allows beneficiaries to spend part of the amount to buy land, and the rest for construction, according to Geetha. “There has been a better response for this scheme. There are wards from which we have received up to 400 applications,” says Geetha.