Fresh hunt on for urban poor to fill Maya’s housing scheme quota

Ambedkar Gram Vikas Vibhag had reported to the government in May that 79,032 eligible people had been identified in 71 districts and an equal number of houses will be constructed this year. Before that,in the first survey in April,only 48,235 eligible people were found.

The government had rejected the first survey and asked the district magistrate to find more urban poor.

“The directives are meant to raise the target but that may remain short of 1.01 lakh because preference will be to ensure suitable place for the flats,” said Balvinder Kumar,Principal Secretary,Ambekdar Gram Vikas Vibhag.

Kumar said district magistrates have been directed to conduct a fresh survey and submit their reports within a week.

As announced in 2008,the government had initially set the target to construct 1.01 lakh flats during the second phase of scheme (2009-10). But only 48,235 beneficiaries were found till April.

To increase the number of beneficiaries,the government decided to relax eligibility norms.

The Kanshiram Shahri Garib Awas Yojna was meant for urban poor having BPL cards.

The government decided last year that people who do not own land or a pucca house will also be eligible if they can submit a certificate to indicate that the annual income of the family does not exceed Rs 22,500.

Then the government decided to consider every constituent family of a joint family as a single unit and eligible for allotment of house under this scheme under two conditions: share of each family in the house is less than 33 sq m and a certificate of poverty.

The government also decided to consider an applicant eligible if he owned residential land in any rural area and no land in urban area.

The principal secretary said a fresh survey will be conducted as per these relaxed norms only.