J-K administration approves land allotment to landless families under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna
Srinagar, July 3
The Jammu and Kashmir administration has given the green light to a proposal for allotting 5 marlas of land each to landless beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAYG).
The Administrative Council finalised this decision on June 21. Initially, the allotment will be limited to the remaining cases from the Permanent Waiting List (PWL) of 2018-19. However, there is a possibility that this provision may be extended to other eligible landless beneficiaries under the PMAY(G) Phase-III, scheduled for launch in 2024-25.
The Deputy Commissioners will review the following categories of beneficiaries under Jammu and Kashmir revenue laws for land allotment: individuals residing on state land, individuals residing on forest land, individuals residing in Rakhs and farms land where construction is prohibited, individuals sitting on custodian land, land allotted to displaced people by the government near Dachigam Park for agricultural purposes where construction is not permitted, and any other eligible cases without available land for construction.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said, “It is a historic day for Jammu and Kashmir and a new beginning for thousands of landless families.”
He emphasized that this historic decision is a remarkable achievement in the administration’s endeavour for social justice, equality, respect, and equal opportunities for all citizens.
Sinha highlighted that this momentous move would not only empower landless individuals to own land and have a house but also provide them with means of livelihood, uplift their living standards, and help them fulfill their dreams and aspirations.
The Lt Governor reiterated the government’s dedication to inclusive development and emphasised that this decision would open up endless opportunities for the impoverished and marginalized sections of society. He acknowledged that this landmark decision recognises and appreciates their invaluable contributions to the nation-building process.
Union Ministry of Rural Development allocated an additional target of 1,99,550 houses to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir for the fiscal year 2023-24, aiming to achieve saturation of the Awaas+ list (PWL 2018-19).
To expedite the process, block-level camps were organised from June 4 to June 10 across the Union Territory to collect the necessary documents from households enlisted in the Awaas+ PWL.
During this verification, it was reported that 2,711 households enlisted in the Awaas+ PWL were landless, and this number is expected to rise if the Government of India extends the timeline. Otherwise, they will be considered in the subsequent phase of the scheme.
The PMAY(G) guidelines of the Ministry of Rural Development mandate providing 25 square meters of land to landless beneficiaries for constructing PMAY houses. However, to ensure an adequate land availability to support their basic living requirements, it has been decided to allot 5 marlas of land to eligible individuals from the Awaas+ PWL of 2018-19.
