New Delhi, Nov 20 (IANS) About 74 per cent of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana–Gramin (PMAY-G) houses are owned by women, and the scheme now aspires to provide 100 per cent ownership to women, the government said on Wednesday.

Skilled employment has also been a priority, with almost three lakh rural masons trained in disaster-resilient construction, boosting their employability, said the Ministry of Rural Development, as it celebrated ‘Awaas Diwas 2024’, the 8th anniversary of the PMAY-G scheme.

The scheme was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 20, 2016 in Agra, underscoring the government’s unwavering commitment to achieving Housing for All.

PMAY-G aims to provide pucca houses with essential amenities to all eligible houseless households and those living in kutcha or dilapidated houses by March 2029.

The scheme got extension 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 to implement the scheme, this initiative continues to transform rural housing.

Originally targeting 2.95 crore houses to be completed by 2023-24, the scheme now aims to construct an additional 2 crore houses, addressing evolving rural housing needs.

To enhance inclusivity, exclusion criteria have been reduced from 13 to 10, removing conditions such as ownership of a fishing boat or motorized two-wheeler, and raising the income threshold to Rs 15,000 per month, according to the ministry.

Payments are made efficiently through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), with over 10 lakh beneficiaries receiving their first instalment this year via a single click by PM Modi in Bhubaneswar.

PMAY-G converges with schemes like MGNREGA, SBM-G, Jal Jeevan Mission, and Surya Ghar, ensuring beneficiaries access water, toilets, LPG, electricity, and solar energy. Special focus is given to landless beneficiaries, with 2.88 lakh houses and land provided in the past decade, according to the government.

The scheme reserves minimum 60 per cent of targets for SC/ST households, with 59.58 lakh SC houses and 58.57 lakh ST houses completed.

Five per cent of the target is reserved for differently-abled beneficiaries, and another 5 per cent prioritises housing for families affected by natural disasters, such as the Fani Cyclone in Odisha.