NEW DELHI, July 8 - The Assam Government has sought relaxation of guidelines under the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) and expeditious release of Central funds earmarked for the State under the MGNREGA.
Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, accompanied by Minister of State for Panchayat and Rural Development Naba Kumar Doley, today called on Union Minister of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Narendra Singh Tomar and conveyed that the Centre has not released the material component fund of the MGNREGA on time, causing a deterrent in the completion of the scheme under the programme. In 2015-2016, the proposed Central share under the material component is Rs 179.92 crore, out of which the Centre released only Rs 98.72 crore recently and no fund has been released till date under the material component for 2016-2017 against the proposed amount of Rs 103.5 crore.
Later, briefing newsmen, Doley said the Assam Government has sought relaxation of guidelines under the PMAY-G. He said families living in houses with kutcha walls and GCI-sheet roofs are not considered eligible for houses. Houses made of kutcha walls and GCI sheets have been considered as pucca houses, which is not reasonable in the context of Assam. �We have requested families living in kutcha houses and GCI sheet roofs to be considered eligible for houses under the PMAY,� he said.
Doley added that under the 14th Finance Commission, grants are directly devolved only to gram panchayats, while district and intermediate panchayats are being deprived. This provision may be kept to devolve FFC funds to the other two tiers of the PRI also.
