The Indian government has recently announced an accelerated timeline for achieving its 'housing for all' initiative in rural India, now aiming to complete the target by December 2023, three months ahead of the previously set deadline. This development is a significant milestone for the ruling NDA (National Democratic Alliance) government and holds particular relevance with the general election scheduled for 2024.

Under the flagship program, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin), the government had set out to build 29.5 million houses to ensure that every family in rural India has a place to call their own. As of September 30, a remarkable 24.5 million houses had already been constructed, with the remaining sanctioned houses in various stages of completion, set to be finished by the new December target.

This advancement of the deadline is not a sudden revelation; it was first reported by ET (Economic Times) on March 24, indicating the government's proactive approach towards fulfilling its housing promises. The PMAY (Gramin) was launched in November 2016, replacing the earlier Indira Awas Yojana.

Rural Development Minister Giriraj Singh, addressing the press, proudly declared that the central government has accomplished the construction of 32.1 million rural houses since 2014, encompassing both the PMAY (Gramin) and the Indira Awas Yojana. This remarkable feat was made possible with an allocation of Rs 2.48 lakh crore from the government.

Under the PMAY-Gramin scheme, the central government typically covers 60% of the construction costs, with state governments contributing the rest. However, in the case of the north-eastern and hilly states, the central government's share increases to 90%, while it extends to 100% for Union territories.

In its revised estimate for FY23, the government significantly increased the allocation for PMAY-Gramin to Rs 48,422 crore from the initial budget estimate of Rs 20,000 crore, demonstrating the government's commitment to accelerating housing construction. For FY24, an even more substantial allocation of Rs 54,487 crore has been made, marking a 12.5% increase from the FY23 revised estimate.

Minister Giriraj Singh further highlighted the achievements of the NDA government, emphasizing that over Rs 6.63 lakh crore has been disbursed under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) since 2014. This program has generated an impressive 26.44 billion person-days of employment opportunities over the past nine years.

Notably, there is no shortage of funds to meet the rising demand for work under MGNREGS. The Rural Development Ministry has proactively sought additional funds from the finance ministry in the current fiscal year, exceeding the budgeted Rs 60,000 crore, ensuring that employment opportunities continue to be extended to those in need.

Under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, an astounding 7,44,000 kilometres of roads have been completed, connecting more than 1,62,000 rural habitations through all-weather roads. This achievement represents a significant improvement in rural infrastructure, promising better accessibility for rural communities.

Turning to the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojna (National Rural Livelihoods Mission), Minister Singh revealed that a remarkable 73.3 million women have been mobilized into self-help groups (SHGs). These SHGs have received loans exceeding Rs 7.22 lakh crore from banks, with a remarkably low bad loan ratio of 1.88%, significantly below the 3.9% non-performing assets in the broader banking system as of March 2023.

The Rural Development Ministry has set ambitious goals for the future. It aims to reach 100 million women through SHGs by December, ensuring that at least 20 millions of them become 'lakhpati' (millionaires) through their self-help initiatives. Additionally, in its water storage initiative for rural areas, more than 67,000 'Amrit Sarovar' (water bodies) have been developed to date as part of the Mission Amrit Sarovar. This mission seeks to develop and rejuvenate a minimum of 75 water bodies in each district of the country, ensuring better water management in rural areas.