Telangana Minister Appeals for 5 Lakh Rural Houses Under Central Scheme
In a significant development for rural housing in Telangana, Revenue and Housing Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy met with Union Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in Hyderabad on Saturday. The state minister made a formal appeal for the sanction of at least three lakh houses during the current financial year, followed by an additional two lakh houses in the next fiscal year, under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Grameen (PMAY-G 2.0) program.
Congress Government's Commitment to PMAY Participation
During their meeting, Srinivas Reddy emphasized that the current Congress government in Telangana has officially joined the PMAY (2.0) initiative. This marks a crucial shift from the previous administration's stance, as the earlier Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government had not participated in the first phase of the scheme. The minister submitted a detailed representation to Chouhan, outlining the state's renewed commitment and the comprehensive steps taken to identify eligible beneficiaries.
Historical Context and Current Efforts
Srinivas Reddy explained that due to the BRS government's non-participation in PMAY (1.0) between 2014 and 2023, the Centre had not sanctioned any housing units for Telangana during that period. This historical decision has created a substantial backlog in rural housing needs across the state. The current administration has prioritized addressing this gap by conducting an extensive house-to-house survey and establishing a robust database of eligible families.
Comprehensive Survey Identifies 11.57 Lakh Eligible Families
Following central guidelines, the Telangana government conducted a fresh survey using the Awas+2024 mobile application. This technological approach has identified approximately 11.57 lakh rural families who qualify for housing assistance under the PMAY-G 2.0 scheme. The minister highlighted that this meticulous verification process ensures that assistance reaches those most in need.
"The previous government's failure to construct rural houses between 2014 and 2023 has created enormous demand," Srinivas Reddy stated during the meeting. "Our government is giving top priority to housing construction for the poor and has set an ambitious target to provide houses for all eligible families within the next three years."
State Initiatives and Central Support Requirements
The Telangana government has already sanctioned approximately four lakh Indiramma houses this year as part of its state-level housing program. However, Srinivas Reddy stressed that the pace of housing construction could be significantly accelerated with substantial support from the central government through the PMAY-G 2.0 scheme.
The minister provided important context about the central government's August 2024 approval of PMAY-G 2.0, which operates on a saturation basis after updating the Awas+2018 survey data. He noted that while 1.19 crore houses were allocated to other states for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 fiscal years based on older data, Telangana received no allocation due to its previous non-participation in PMAY 1.0.
Formal Request for Immediate Action
In his direct appeal to Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Srinivas Reddy requested the sanction of three lakh houses for the current financial year and an additional two lakh houses for the next fiscal year. He expressed optimism that the central government would respond positively to Telangana's renewed participation and comprehensive preparation.
Key Points from the Meeting:
- Telangana's Congress government has formally joined PMAY (2.0) after previous non-participation
- 11.57 lakh rural families identified as eligible through Awas+2024 mobile app survey
- State has sanctioned four lakh Indiramma houses this year independently
- Request for three lakh central houses this year and two lakh next year
- Hope for positive central response to accelerate rural housing construction
The meeting represents a crucial step in bridging Telangana's rural housing gap and demonstrates the state government's commitment to leveraging central schemes for the benefit of its citizens.
