Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday handed over approval for 2,89,355 pucca houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) in Rajasthan, involving an outlay of ₹3,473 crore.
During a state-level PMAY-G programme in Baran, Chouhan also handed over an approval letter for ₹340.59 crore for agricultural development initiatives, including those under the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (PM-RKVY), to Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma.
Addressing the gathering, Chouhan said the approvals would help transform the lives of families still living in kutcha houses and fulfil Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s commitment to providing permanent houses to poor families.
29.13 lakh beneficiaries surveyed
Chouhan said a survey of 29,13,749 new potential beneficiaries under PMAY-G had been completed in Rajasthan. After physical verification, houses would also be sanctioned for eligible beneficiaries among those surveyed.
He directed authorities to display transparent beneficiary lists at district and panchayat levels and provide an opportunity for objections so that eligible families are not wrongly excluded from the scheme.
Housing eligibility rules expanded
The Union Minister announced changes in PMAY-G eligibility criteria to expand access to housing assistance.
Under the revised norms, families owning a two-wheeler will also be eligible for assistance. The monthly income ceiling for women beneficiaries has been increased from ₹10,000 to ₹15,000.
Small farmers will also be eligible, with the revised criteria covering those owning up to five acres of unirrigated land or 2.5 acres of irrigated land.
Rajasthan’s Lakhpati Didi target doubled
Highlighting women’s economic empowerment, Chouhan said 16 lakh women in Rajasthan had so far become Lakhpati Didis. He announced that the target would now be doubled to 32 lakh Lakhpati Didis in the state.
He said women had received around ₹13,400 crore through various banks to support entrepreneurial activities.
“No woman should remain poor,” Chouhan said, underlining the government’s focus on increasing women’s economic independence.
₹12,000 crore target for rural development
Referring to the Viksit Bharat-G RAM G Yojana, Chouhan said Rajasthan had been given a target of ₹12,000 crore in investment over the next nine months.
He said the programme would have a direct impact at the gram panchayat level, with an annual development target of around ₹80 lakh for each panchayat.
The Minister said development priorities in villages should be decided locally rather than by authorities in Delhi or Jaipur, stressing that people at the panchayat level would determine their own development plans.
Urea available to farmers at ₹266 per bag
On fertiliser prices, Chouhan said the government was protecting farmers from fluctuations in international prices. Although the cost of a bag of urea is around ₹3,000, farmers are being provided the fertiliser at ₹266 per bag, with the government bearing the difference.
He assured farmers that strict action would be taken against black marketing of fertilisers and other agricultural inputs.
The Minister also announced plans to introduce stronger legislation against the manufacture and sale of fake pesticides and substandard seeds.
He said the existing legal framework was inadequate to tackle such malpractice and that new pesticide and seed legislation would be introduced in Parliament with provisions for stricter punishment and stronger protection for farmers.
Agriculture roadmap planned for Kota-Jhalawar region
Chouhan said he would work with agricultural scientists and farmers to prepare a comprehensive agricultural roadmap for the Kota-Jhalawar region.
The roadmap would cover the entire agricultural value chain, including crop diversification, processing, marketing and exports, with the objective of increasing farmers’ incomes from the farm gate to international markets.
Call for collective participation in development
The Union Minister called upon citizens to contribute to social and national development by serving society, planting trees, educating daughters and promoting a drug-free society.
He administered a pledge to those present and urged people to work collectively towards building a Viksit Rajasthan and Viksit Gaon.
Speaking about the national song, Chouhan said Vande Mataram represents India’s freedom struggle, sacrifice and patriotism, and respecting it is the duty of every Indian.
The programme was attended by Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, Members of Parliament, MLAs, state ministers and a large number of local residents.
