Tue Nov 19 22:32:00 UTC 2024: ## India Launches Self-Survey for Rural Housing Scheme
**New Delhi, November 20, 2024** – For the first time since its inception in 2016, the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G), India’s flagship rural housing scheme, is allowing beneficiaries to conduct self-surveys. This initiative, part of the second phase targeting 2 crore new houses, aims to ensure inclusivity and minimize bias in beneficiary selection.
The Ministry of Rural Development has completed training for 2.6 lakh surveyors and is utilizing the Awaas+ mobile application for data collection. While self-surveys are a new feature, each phone can only be used for one application or beneficiary.
The second phase, approved with a ₹3,06,137 crore budget in August, builds upon the scheme’s initial goal of 2.95 crore houses, using the 2011 Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) data. A supplementary survey was conducted in 2018, but with many states completing their lists, the government has opted for self-reporting to address gaps. State governments have been instructed to complete the survey by November 30th.
The government emphasizes that the pre-determined beneficiary list minimizes political influence. While 2.67 crore houses have been completed under the first phase, with 1.5 crore benefiting Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, Chhattisgarh remains the only state lagging behind in completing houses for 2011 SECC beneficiaries.
The inclusion criteria for the second phase have been broadened to include households with assets like two-wheelers or refrigerators, reflecting a more inclusive approach. However, the government’s contribution remains capped at ₹1.20 lakh per house, a figure unchanged since 2016, highlighting the scheme’s intent as supplemental assistance rather than a full dole.
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