Ensure houses for poor have power, gas connections: PM Modi

NEW DELHI: Along with houses built under the PM Awas Yojna (PMAY) in rural areas, PM Narendra Modi has asked his team to offer the complete package of benefits offered by his government under flagship schemes — from electricity and gas connection to drinking water supply.

During a recent meeting of secretaries, Modi asked officials to link all beneficiary oriented programmes and schemes such as rural drinking water programme, rural electrification and Ujjwala to the rural component of PMAY. Modi also asked officials to monitor the convergence of all these schemes.

The government has set the targets to build three


Crore houses for the poor in rural areas by 2022. Sources said PM’s recent direction is in line with the focus to ensure houses built under the PMAY have the necessary facilities to bring visible change in people’s lives.

In 2014, the government had announced that by 2022 every family will have a pucca house with water connection, toilet facilities, 24x7 electricity supply and access. Modi while launching the scheme had said owning a house is dream for the poor and once they have a home they set their aspirations higher.

Launching the rural component of PMAY in February 2016, Modi had said the scheme was not merely an infrastructure programme, but is meant to give life to dreams of the poor.