PM Modi's new Cabinet greenlights construction of 3 crore houses
In its inaugural meeting, the newly formed National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved plans for the construction of three crore additional rural and urban houses. These houses will be built under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) scheme, which has helped build 4.21 crore residences for eligible poor people through housing initiatives in the last 10 years.
First cabinet meeting
PMAY scheme: A lifeline for India's rural poor
Under this scheme, financial assistance of ₹1.20 lakh is provided in plain areas and ₹1.30 lakh in hilly regions, with the central and state governments sharing costs in a 60:40 ratio. Implemented since 2015-16, all houses constructed under PMAY are provided with other basic amenities such as household toilets, LPG connections, electricity connections, functional household tap connections, etc. through convergence with other schemes of the central and state governments.
Cabinet meeting held at Prime Minister's residence
This move aligns with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's interim budget announcement in February, which outlined plans for constructing two crore additional houses under PMAY over the next five years. Earlier, PM Modi had also approved the release of the 17th tranche of PM Kisan Nidhi funds on his first day in office. This move is projected to benefit approximately 9.3 crore farmers and distribute around ₹20,000 crore.
PM Modi took oath on Sunday
Modi took oath as PM for the third consecutive time on Sunday. Alongside him, 30 cabinet ministers, 36 Ministers of State (Mos), and five MoS (independent charge) from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies also took oaths. This marks the first time PM Modi is leading a coalition government since his first election in 2014. PM Modi's BJP secured an absolute majority on its own in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections, capturing 282 and 303 seats.
