LIFE Mission Kerala: All you need to know

In order to provide quality housing options to the underprivileged sections of society, the Kerala government has unveiled a Livelihood Inclusion and Financial Empowerment (LIFE) programme. This mission, which is in its third phase, has so far constructed over 1.5 lakh homes across the state. Around 52,000 homes were constructed in Phase-I, while 78,432 houses were constructed in Phase-II. On September 24, 2020, Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the construction work of 29 housing complexes, which will house over 1,285 families. According to the CM, a total of 1.35 lakh beneficiaries have been identified in the third phase of the mission.

According to the government portal, Thiruvanthapuram district is at the top when it comes to the implementation of the mission, as around 18,000 units were constructed here under the LIFE Mission. The total cost of the project is expected to reach around Rs 4,000 crores, which will be funded by the World Bank and Japanese institutions. A sizeable amount of donations are also expected from philanthropic societies in the Middle-East.

What is LIFE Mission Kerala?

The LIFE Mission is a housing scheme, to provide shelter to landless and homeless people in Kerala. The target is to build 4.3 lakh homes in five years. Under this programme, housing complexes will be built with all modern amenities and provisions will be made for the beneficiaries, to pursue their livelihoods. A number of social services, such as primary healthcare, geriatric support and skill development, will be offered for enhancing inclusivity.

See also: All about Kerala’s online property-related services

LIFE Mission Kerala: Who are the beneficiaries?

Around one lakh eligible beneficiaries have been identified under Phase-II of the mission and around 81% of the homes have been constructed, for people who are homeless but have land. To be eligible for the mission, the applicant must meet one of the following criteria:

• Landless or homeless.
• Not been able to complete the house construction and have no other home.
• Has a temporary home in costal, plantation or exotic areas.

LIFE Mission Kerala: Beneficiary priority criteria

Beneficiaries will be selected on following priority criteria:

• Mentally / physically challenged
• Poor
• Heterosexuals
• People with serious/fatal illness
• Unmarried mothers
• Unemployed due to illness / accident
• Widows

LIFE Mission Kerala: Eligibility for beneficiaries

Following is the key eligibility criteria for the beneficiaries:

• People working in the government sector are not eligible to apply.
• Annual income of the applicant should not exceed Rs three lakhs per year.
• Only residents of Kerala can apply for the scheme.
• Applicants who do not own any land can apply.
• Homeless families who have a ration card are eligible for the scheme.

How to apply for LIFE Mission Kerala 2020?

You can apply for the scheme online and offline. Follow this procedure, to apply online:

Step 1: Go to the LIFE Mission Kerala portal (click here) and click on ‘New Registration’.

Step 2: Fill your name and mobile number in the registration form.

Step 3: Generate the OTP and verify your contact details to carry on with the registration process.

Step 4: Fill the registration form and submit the details.

To apply offline, visit the nearest Akshaya Kendra and fill the registration form and submit it.

What is the process of shortlisting the beneficiary?

There are three steps to shortlist beneficiaries for the LIFE Housing Scheme:

Step 1: The social and economic caste survey conducted by the central government in 2011 is referred, to identify the beneficiary.

Step 2: The field-level officers will visit the identified beneficiaries for verification. The documents and details will be recorded and submitted to local self-government institutions.

Step 3: The final list of selected beneficiaries will be published at local panchayat/district level office.

See also: All About Telangana Dignity Housing Scheme

LIFE Mission Kerala: Insurance cover

The Kerala government has announced insurance cover for the houses built under the LIFE Mission project. Each unit built under the scheme will have insurance cover of Rs 4 lakhs for a period of three years, for which the premium will be paid by the state government. After this period, the owner would have to bear the expenses for the premium.

LIFE Mission Kerala: Latest update

Kerala government recently opened a short window of five days for fresh applications for the Livelihood, Inclusion, Financial Empowerment (LIFE) housing project. Now, the total number of applicants in the latest phase of the project has swelled to 9.2 lakh. Close to 90,000 fresh applications were received across local bodies during this short period of time.

This was the first time when the state government opened the direct application method for LIFE project. Earlier, the beneficiaries were chosen based on a survey conducted by the Kudumbashree. The project had in January hit a milestone of 2.5 lakh houses completed in phases. The work on 36 flat complexes is progressing in various parts of the State, out of which 10 are nearing completion.

Contact details of LIFE Mission Kerala

LIFE Mission,

2nd Floor, PTC Tower,

SS Kovil Road, Thampanoor,

Thiruvananthapuram 695001

Phone: 0471 2335524

Email: lifemissionkerala@gmail.com

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