Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has launched a comprehensive housing survey under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) to identify and support eligible beneficiaries across the state.
Panchayati Raj Minister Rabi Narayan Naik officially inaugurated the survey on Friday in Arjunsinghpur village of Jasuapur Gram Panchayat, located in the Pipili block of Puri district. During the launch, the Minister interacted with beneficiaries and emphasized the government’s commitment to ensuring housing for all.
The survey, which will be conducted via a mobile application, comes with updated eligibility criteria to include a broader section of the population. Families owning two-wheelers, refrigerators, and landline phones are now eligible to participate. Additionally, the monthly family income limit has been raised to ₹15,000, making the scheme more accessible to low and middle-income households.
In a significant relaxation of norms, individuals who have separated from their families will also be considered for the scheme. This includes people living independently from their parents or spouses. Moreover, those who had previously applied but are yet to receive allotments can reapply during this survey.
To simplify the application process, beneficiaries can now submit applications through both offline and online modes. An online portal will be activated on the first day of the survey to facilitate digital applications. Additionally, the government has removed application fees to encourage greater participation among eligible residents.
Speaking on the initiative, Minister Naik highlighted that the survey will run for six to eight weeks and aims to increase the number of houses under the scheme from two crore to three crore nationwide. In Odisha, the focus will be on identifying and including residents who were previously left out. Over 50,963 pending applications will also be addressed in this new survey.
As of now, 28.25 lakh households in Odisha have been approved under PMAY, with around 23 lakh houses already constructed. The survey aims to bridge the gap and ensure that all deserving families have access to proper housing.
