Assam Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Ranjeet Kumar Dass asserted that over 21 lakh houses have been completed and 7 lakh more are under construction under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Gramin (PMAY-G) in the state.
Speaking about the government’s commitment to uplifting rural communities, Dass said that once the ongoing construction is completed, a fresh survey will be conducted to identify families still living in kachcha houses. The new list will be presented in the Gram Sabha for approval.
He added that the state government has provided a range of facilities to economically weaker sections, including housing, clean water, electricity, and access to banking services — significantly reducing the role of intermediaries.
Highlighting the push for women’s empowerment, Dass referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of making every woman self-reliant. “As per PM Modi, every woman must be independent, and we are making efforts in the direction of Lakhpati Didi and we have over 8 lakh them,” he said.
Out of more than 40 lakh self-help group (SHG) members in Assam, 30 lakh women were selected to receive government support. “Each received Rs 10,000 in the first phase, followed by Rs 25,000, and then 50% contribution from banks,” Dass noted.
He said the initiative is expected to inject Rs 30,000 crore into the state economy and significantly boost Assam’s GDP.