Meghalaya survey-ready for PMAY-G: CM

Shillong: Chief minister Conrad K Sangma on Monday announced that the state is "survey ready" for the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana - Gramin (PMAY-G). This declaration follows the completion of mapping surveyors to each village, who will serve as primary contacts for conducting surveys and updating the Awaas+ 2018 list to include previously omitted deserving households and villages.The ministry of rural development's housing division has extended PMAY-G until 2028-29. An official statement noted that Meghalaya, having fulfilled all previous targets, will be among the initial states to begin new surveys. Since PMAY-G's inception in 2016, Meghalaya has approved 186,283 houses, fulfilling all targets under the 2018 Awaas+ survey.The official statement indicated that 113,158 houses (60.75%) have been completed, while others are in various construction phases. The state intends to finish all ongoing construction by Jan 2025. Through the State Rural Employment Society (SRES), operating under the C&RD department, Meghalaya has assigned 6,354 surveyors across 6,426 villages to update the Awaas+ database using revised exclusion criteria and eKYC face-based authentication.The housing mission stands as one of Meghalaya's five primary development objectives. The official statement detailed that this initiative aims to address rural poverty comprehensively while establishing standards for rural housing and related services. The Government of Meghalaya is utilising PMAY-G as its foundation to tackle various aspects of rural deprivation, working alongside other schemes to provide essential services including education, healthcare, clean water, and sanitation.The chief minister emphasised the govt's dedication to achieving ‘housing for all' while addressing broader poverty issues. He urged all stakeholders to ensure comprehensive survey coverage and called upon eligible households and potential PMAY-G beneficiaries to prepare necessary documentation and actively participate in the upcoming surveys.