PMAY beneficiary shares experience with Modi

Kiran Bakhla, a commoner of Ranchi, would have never imagined that availing a Government scheme would one day give her the opportunity to interact with none other than the Prime Minister of India!

The dream come true for her during the third anniversary of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) organised on July 28 at Lucknow that not just provided a platform to PMAY beneficiaries to share their experience from a national forum as how far their lives have transformed after availing the scheme but it also pitched a way to establish direct communication with PM Narendra Modi as what further can be done to popularise this and host of other Government schemes.

Bakhla who will now always cherish this D-Day is the lucky beneficiary from Jharkhand to attend the PMAY event. PMAY Project — a scheme of GoI in which affordable housing is provided to the urban poor is one of the ambitious plans of the Government to stamp out slums. The PMAY scheme targets to construct 20 million affordable houses by 31 March 2022 across the country.

The PM during ‘Seedhi Baat’ asked Bakla, how far her standard of living has changed after availing PMAY scheme, does each one who is entitled to get the benefit of affordable housing in her ward are getting the assistance or not, status of scheme in the nearby areas, how much advantage she has got from Ujala and Ujjwala schemes and what difference do she find now.

Extending her gratitude towards the PM for giving priority to the underprivileged people by introducing a number of schemes, Kiran during the event not just praised the initiatives of GoI but said that the scheme has not just changed her life but of all those other beneficiaries as well who have availed this much needed facility. Kiran added that besides the PMAY project, she is also gaining benefits from Ujala scheme — affordable LEDs for all and Ujjwala scheme — that provides LPG connections to Below Poverty Line (BPL) households.

The event witnessed the participation of PMAY beneficiaries from 29 States and four Union Territories (UTs). The PM was impressed with the confidence level of the beneficiaries during the event.

Besides the special conversation with the PMAY beneficiaries, the PM during an exhibition of models which showcased how the respective State Governments are implementing the plans of PMAY scheme, the PM minutely observed the model of Jharkhand Government. The model designed by Department of Urban Development, Housing and Planning tried to present a picture in which other ongoing schemes of the Government was also incorporated.

All major schemes of the State and Central Government were amalgamated in one core model to explain the plan as how various schemes are benefitting the society.