Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Gramin: Classification, Eligibility Criteria, Features and Benefits

The Central Government introduced the scheme to provide affordable “housing for all” in 2015. Nonetheless, the main focus is on rural poor people with no houses or kuccha houses. The aim of PMAYG is to provide 25 square metre pucca houses to everyone, which will have all the required facilities such as sanitation, clean water and power supply by 2022.

Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana types

PMAY list has two categories- 

• Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Gramin

This section is mainly about providing decent secured housing to people living in poor rural areas. 

• Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Urban

The urban section of PMAY is about rehabilitating economically weak slum dwellers and securing them with a proper housing facility.

If an individual wants to apply for PMAYG, first, they need to check the eligibility criteria.

Eligibility criteria for PMAYG

• If the family has no house or has a kuccha house.
• If the member has no permanent or fixed job or any source of income.
• If working as casual labour is the only source of income to the family.
• If the family doesn’t have any literate adult members above the age of 25 years.
• Families without an adult male or any member of the age between 16-59 years.
• Family belonging to the Scheduled castes or tribe category.
• Families with a disabled member.

Benefits of the scheme

Out of the several benefits of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Gramin; here’s a few:

• Construction of houses

Under the PMAYG project, the Indian Government has targeted building approximately 20 million concrete houses in rural areas of India. Houses constructed under this scheme will have a minimum area of 25 sq. mt. Besides, the houses must have basic amenities like electricity, clean areas for cooking, etc.

• Get better in living standards.

This housing scheme aims to uplift the living standard of the poor by providing concrete houses with new facilities.

• Restoration of land

By constructing concrete houses, the reduced value of these degraded lands in rural areas will bring back the successful execution of this scheme.

Other benefits include:

• An individual will get an LPG gas connection and other health and job related benefits.
• An individual can get a maximum subsidy of up to Rs.2 lakh on availing a housing loan. 
• If the individual pays back the amount at proper time, their interest rate will reduce by 3%. 

Customers opting for a home loan can select leading financial agencies that extend pre-approved offers on different financial products. Individuals can speed up their home loan application procedures by undergoing this process. They simply have to submit their contact information and name in order to check their pre-approved offers.

PMAYG documents required

These are the mandatory documents or details required to avail of the scheme:

• PAN Card
• Proof of Identity such as Aadhaar Card, Voter’s ID
• Address proof
• MGNREGA-registered beneficiary job card number
• Number of the beneficiary’s Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM)
• Bank account details or post office account details, statements and slips

Individuals can get these benefits under the PMAYG if they have an annual family income of less than Rs.3 lakh or from Economically Weaker Sections (EWS). Basically, the scheme helps to build pucca houses for the rural poor. It aims to give them socio-psychological security.