Gandhinagar, May 12 (). Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday laid the foundation stone and inaugurated various projects worth Rs 4,400 crore.
These projects pertain to various sectors such as urban development, water supply, road and transport, and mines and minerals.
He also inaugurated the nearly Rs 1,950 crore Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Rural and Urban) which is an important milestone in housing development.
During the event, Prime Minister Modi interacted with the beneficiaries through video link and handed over the keys of around 19,000 houses constructed under the scheme.
Highlighting the unique features of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) initiative, he said, the houses being built under PMAY are a package of several schemes. Every house has toilet under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, electricity connection under Saubhagya scheme, free LPG connection under Ujjwala scheme and piped water under JJM.
He also underlined that the beneficiaries get additional benefits like free medical treatment and free ration, providing a comprehensive safety net for the poor.
Appreciating the empowerment of women under PMAY, the PM emphasized that 70 per cent of the houses have been registered in the name of women. He highlighted that the cost of construction of these houses, which runs into several lakhs of rupees, has made crores of women beneficiaries millionaires. She has become the owner of the property for the first time.
Besides this, PM Modi discussed the challenges of the future and the government’s focus on urbanisation. Citing the success of the Light House Project in six cities, he highlighted the use of modern technology to build affordable and safe houses. He also assured that such housing opportunities would be made available to the poor in the near future.
Furthermore, he discussed issues of malpractices and frauds in the real estate sector, which had adversely affected poor and middle-class families. He said that the implementation of the RERA Act has provided legal protection to the home buyers, ensuring fulfillment of the promised facilities. The Prime Minister also mentioned the significant budget subsidy for housing loans provided to the middle class, which has benefited thousands of families.
Speaking about urban planning, Modi laid equal emphasis on ease of living and quality of life. He referred to the expansion of the metro network across the country, reducing travel time and improving connectivity.
Talking about the remarkable progress, he said, the metro network in the country has increased from 250 kms before 2014 to 600 kms in the last nine years.
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