Himanta Biswa Sarma announces 3.80 lakh houses for Assam under PMAY, geo-tagging revamped

Assam has been allocated 3.80 lakh new houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced on March 13. 

The first installment for the construction of these houses will be disbursed on March 19 during a central event in Palashbari. So far, the scheme has benefited 22 lakh families across the state.

Acknowledging that many eligible families are yet to be covered, the Assam government has requested the Central Government to conduct another round of geo-tagging to identify those left out of the scheme. A new system will be implemented, wherein ‘Jeevika Sakhis’, in collaboration with Self-Help Groups (SHGs), will carry out the geo-tagging. Importantly, only ‘Jeevika Sakhis’ from the nearest villages will be involved, ensuring localized data collection. Additionally, families will have the option to self-geo-tag their houses.

The Panchayat & Rural Development Department will verify the geo-tagged data, followed by approvals from the Gram Sabha and the Block-Level Committee. At the district level, a committee led by the Guardian Minister will review and finalize the list before submitting it to the Government of India.

During a press briefing, Panchayat & Rural Development Department Principal Secretary Jan Ekka provided insights into the ‘Awas Portal’ and ‘Awas Plus’ initiatives, aimed at streamlining housing data. The geo-tagging exercise is scheduled from March 17 to March 31, with public awareness campaigns planned through advertisements