Pune, Dec 23 (IANS) Union Minister of Agriculture, Farmers Welfare and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday said over 13.29 lakh houses have been approved for Maharashtra during the financial year 2024-25 under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Gramin Plus (+).

In his address at the Kisan Samman Diwas and Farmers and Rural Development Beneficiaries Conference here, the Union Minister said the survey work has been completed, and the final list has been made for these additional houses to be allotted in Maharashtra.

"The government is working with the commitment that no person should be deprived of a pucca house,” Shivraj Chouhan said.

Speaking at the event to mark National Farmers Day 2024, the Union Minister further said that a target has been fixed to build over 19.66 lakh houses in Maharashtra during the financial year 2024-25.

"The total estimated expenditure for this will be Rs 29,501 crore. It is hoped that the newly formed state government will be able to achieve these targets within the stipulated time," the Minister added.

Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that the government is making all-out efforts to provide the benefits of this scheme to those people who have not got the opportunity to join the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana or whose name is not on the survey list.

Earlier, people who had two-wheelers and telephones were deprived of this scheme, but now, under the Awas Plus (+) scheme, all such people will get the benefit of a house, the minister explained.

According to the new survey, people in the monthly income group of Rs 15,000 and those who own more than 5 acres of unirrigated land will also be able to get the benefit of this scheme.

Shivraj Singh Chouhan also said that the government is very sensitive towards women empowerment. A target has been set to make 3 crore Lakhpati Didis across the country. So far, 1.15 crore sisters have been made Lakhpati Didi because women's self-help groups play a major role in India's economy.

Talking about the development of the agriculture sector, Union Minister Chouhan said that during the UPA government, the annual budget provision for agriculture was only Rs 23,000 crore, whereas during the tenure of the Modi government, it has been increased to Rs 1.27 lakh crore.

Apart from this, the government has provided a subsidy of Rs 1.94 lakh crore for a total of 45 programmes.

The minister further stated that the government has so far spent Rs 1,166 lakh crore for various ongoing schemes under the National Food Security Programme, and the government is making continuous efforts to double the income of the country's farmers.

He also said that recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has dedicated 109 varieties of new seeds of 65 crops to the nation which will be an important part of natural farming.

Courtesy Media Group: IANS

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