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Ramesh asks Modi to implement housing scheme for poor

March 01, 2013 14:53 IST

In a letter to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh has outlined his concerns about the faulty implementation of the Indira Awaas Yojana in the state.

Indira Awaas Yojana is a scheme to provide financial assistance for the construction of houses for those living under the poverty line.

The Centre bears 75 per cent of the total expenditure of the scheme and the state government pays the remaining amount.

Read more about the scheme here

In the letter, Ramesh has stated that while the state government’s target was to build  a total of 1,36,470 houses in the last one year, it has sanctioned the construction of only 99,925 houses.

Ramesh further points out that the Centre has released Rs 134.24 crore as the first instalment for the implementation of the scheme -- in the year 2012-2013 -- for only 16 districts, out of the total 26 districts in the state.

The funds were not released for the remaining ten districts as these had not received the second instalment under the scheme the year before.

Only 11 districts have sent proposals for the second instalment of the Indira Awaas Yojana this year, says Ramesh.

Ramesh has urged Modi to submit the requisite information to the Centre for the implementation of the scheme across Gujarat.

Read the full letter here