LUCKNOW: UP govt gave the additional push to the centre’s flagship PM Awas Yojana (rural) by allocating a sum of Rs 2,441 crore for implementation of the scheme envisaging pucca houses for all homeless and poor families by the end of 2024.
The development comes less than a week after the interim Union Budget earmarked Rs 32,000 crore for the scheme that aims to construct 2 crore more housing units in the rural areas.
In 2022-23, UP constructed more than 28 lakh housing units in the rural areas which was almost 96% of the target set for the fiscal.
Subsequently, the state govt allocated Rs 9,000 crore for the scheme in 2023-24.
The fresh budgetary allocation to the sector marks the ruling BJP’s fresh bid to firm its footprints in the rural sector ahead of the Lok Sabha elections due in the next few months.
Official sources said that UP, along with Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, is being perceived as one of the key states where a maximum number of housing units are proposed to be constructed in 2024-25.
Centre’s rural housing scheme is scheduled to be backed by the state version of Mukhyamantri Awas Yojana (rural) in which Rs 1,140 crore has been earmarked. This is somewhat in continuance with 2023-24 state Budget when Rs 1,203 crore were allocated to the sector.
Construction of toilets under the Swachch Bharat Mission too has been provided a major thrust by allocating more than Rs 4,800 crore, which is nearly double of the allocation made in 2023-24. The scheme, executed by the Panchayati Raj department, happens to be a significant one for rural sanitation. The state govt also kept its focus on rural sports by making a budgetary provision of Rs 25 crore for rural stadium and open gymnasium.
Rural road connectivity continued to remain in state govt focus as it earmarked Rs 3,665 crore for the purpose this year. This is, however, lesser than in 2023-24 when Rs 5,966 crore were allocated.
