Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin Extended to 2029: Must Know About PMAY-G Eligibility, Benefits and Application Process

India’s flagship rural housing programme Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) has been given a new lease of life. The Union government has recently announced an extension of the scheme until March 31, 2029. This move was announced in an attempt to sanction and build an additional two crore pucca houses in rural areas. Initially targeted for completion by December 2024, the extension recognises both the scale of housing deprivation and the unfinished targets from earlier phases.

Launched in 2016 to replace the Indira Awaas Yojana, PMAY-G forms a cornerstone of the “Housing for All” mission. It promises a permanent dwelling equipped with basic amenities to rural households that currently live in kutcha houses or have no shelter at all.

What Is the Objective of PMAY-G?

In its core mission, the program seeks to bridge the rural housing gap by providing environmentally sound, weather-resistant homes for every eligible household. Earlier rural housing schemes, PMAY-G required residents to live in a dwelling of at least 25 square meters, an increase from the previous 20 square meters.

The central idea is not just to construct homes but to ensure they come with sanitation, electricity and drinking water, creating a basic foundation for improved living standards. Officials emphasise that the selection of beneficiaries is not random.

Who Is Eligible to Apply?

Eligibility rules are designed to filter the most deprived households. The government criteria include:

• Families without any pucca house anywhere in India.

• Households living in one or two-room kutcha houses.

• Families belonging to the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes, and certain minority groups.

• Households with no adult member between 16 and 59 years of age.

• Female-headed households without an adult male in the 16–59 age range.

• Households with disabled members and no able-bodied adults.

• Landless households are dependent on manual casual labour for income.

• No family member holding a government job or earning more than Rs 15,000 a month.

• No professional taxpayers and a Kisan Credit Card limit below Rs 50,000.

• An affidavit confirming non-ownership of a pucca house is mandatory at the time of application.

How Much Financial Assistance Is Provided?

Under PMAY-G, financial aid depends on location:

• Rs 1.2 lakh for houses in the plains.

• Rs 1.3 lakh for hilly areas, North-Eastern states and select other regions.

• In Odisha, the assistance can be up to Rs 1.8 lakh per unit.

• Beneficiaries also receive Rs 12,000 for constructing a toilet, channelled via Swachh Bharat Mission or similar programmes.

• Up to Rs 70,000 in additional home loans from authorised financial institutions is available, with an interest subsidy starting at 3 per cent.

The cost-sharing formula is 60:40 between Centre and State for plain areas, and 90:10 for North-Eastern and Himalayan states, Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.

How Many Houses Have Been Built So Far?

In its first phase (2016–2019), PMAY-G targeted one crore houses. Phase two (2019–2022) aimed at 1.95 crore units. As per official data, more than 95 per cent of sanctioned houses have been completed, with about 5 per cent still under construction.

Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, and Odisha together account for the bulk of completions. Smaller states and Union Territories such as Goa, Sikkim, and the North-Eastern states have much lower numbers, reflecting both smaller populations and administrative challenges.

How Is Progress Monitored?

Monitoring is fully digital. The AwaasSoft online platform and the Awaas mobile app allow tracking of every stage from sanction to completion. Beneficiaries can also check application status through their registration number, Fund Transfer Order (FTO) details, or by searching the SECC-based beneficiary list.

The construction process follows seven defined stages: sanction, foundation, plinth, window sill, lintel, roof cast, and final completion. Payments are released in instalments tied to these stages.

What’s New in 2025?

The extension to 2029 comes alongside new operational measures:

Ten lakh houses are planned for sanction in January 2025 alone, as part of the 2024–25 target.

A new mobile tool, AwaasSAKHI, will help streamline beneficiary verification and cut fraud risk.

States will face penalties for delays in sanctioning or releasing instalments Rs 10 per house per month for the first month of delay, and Rs 20 for each subsequent month.

A Credit Guarantee Scheme will support additional borrowing of Rs 70,000 per beneficiary, with self-help groups acting as guarantors in some cases.