IAY (Indira Awas Yojana): Housing for Rural Poor

• You are eligible to apply for IAY if you and your family belong to rural SC/ST, non-bonded labourer, minorities, and non-SC/ST sections below the poverty line, and rural veterans and the families of defence personnel, martyred on duty are eligible for IAY .
• The key features of IAY are ownership in your name and grant disbursal directly to your bank account in three instalments.
• To apply for IAY , you need an Aadhaar card, a BPL certificate, an Affidavit declaring that you and any family member do not own a prior pucca house, an MNREGA card, and bank details.
• You can easily apply for and monitor the IAY application online.

The Indira Awas Yojana ( IAY ), also known as Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Gramin (PMAY-G), aims to provide housing support to the Scheduled Castes /Scheduled Tribes, non-bonded labourers, minorities, and non-SC/ST sections living below the poverty line in rural India.This guide explains how you can apply online and avail yourself of the broad benefits of the IAY scheme.

The IAY was launched in 1985-86 by the Ministry of Rural Development. It aimed to provide grants for the construction of houses to those below the poverty line in rural India.Its beneficiaries included members of Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes, freed bonded labourers and non-SC/ST rural poor. In FY 1996, it was extended to rural veterans and the families of defence personnel martyred on duty.It was launched as a sub-scheme of the Rural Landless Employment Guarantee Programme (RLEGP). Later, it was merged with the Jawahar Rozgar Yojana (JRY) after its launch in April 1989. However, effective January 1, 1996, it was delinked from the JRY and made an independent scheme.Since its implementation, it has suffered from issues like non-assessment of housing shortage, lack of authenticity and transparency in beneficiary selection, lack of quality in the houses built, lack of transparency and technical support, and weak monitoring and implementation of the scheme.Later, in 2016, IAY was brought under the purview of “Housing for All by 2022” and restructured into Pradhan Mantri Awas Gramin (PMAY G). This was done to fill the gaps found during the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG)'s performance audit of the scheme in 2014.

The key features of the targeted scheme to empower the rural poor by providing them with affordable homes are:

Ownership of Houses:

-It gives you joint ownership of the house with your spouse, except if you are unmarried, a widower, or divorced.-If there is no adult male, the State may allocate sole ownership of the house to you if you are a woman.-If you have a disability, ownership remains with you.

Construction of the House:

-Unit assistance of ₹1.20 lakhs and ₹1.30 lakhs is provided to build houses in plains and hills or other difficult areas, respectively.You cannot involve contractors in construction. If evidence of their involvement is found, funding may be withdrawn.-However, if you are old or disabled and not in a position to construct the house on your own, such houses shall be built as part of the rural mason training programme.-Government agencies or departments can provide technical assistance, while Youth Clubs, NGOs, or charitable organisations can support with monitoring and construction assistance.

Design and Construction Standards:

-The house should be constructed using eco-friendly and sustainable housing techniques.-The scheme emphasises improving the standard of living while minimising environmental impact.-The houses should have sufficient space and barrier-free designs for disabled individuals.

Release of Funds in Instalments:

-The first instalment (25% of unit cost) is provided on Awaas Divas along with the sanction order, usually within seven days of the sanction.-The second instalment (60% of the cost) is released upon reaching the foundation or plinth level.-The third instalment (15% of the cost) is provided upon reaching the windowsill, lintel, or roof cast level.

Construction Time Limit:

To avoid time delays and increased cost of construction, the scheme mandates strict construction time limits as follows:-Construction up to the lintel level: Nine months from the date of receiving the first instalment.-Completion: Nine months from the date of receiving the second instalment.

Special Projects by IAY

In addition to the construction of a pucca house, the Central Government provides funds for special projects for the following purposes under this scheme:

• Rehabilitating BPL (below poverty line) rural families.
• Providing hygienic settlements for freed manual scavengers and bonded labourers.
• Establishing settlements for endangered tribal societies.
• Rehabilitating individuals affected by natural calamities and occupational diseases.
• Ensuring the security of the settling families under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers Act.
• Implementing new technologies that are particularly affordable and eco-friendly.

You can access the state-wise report for the current year by visiting the official PMAY-G site and following these steps.

• First, visit the official website of the PMAY-G authorities. ( https://pmayg.nic.in/netiay/home.aspx)
• Click on Stakeholders > IAY /PMAYG Beneficiary from the tabs section at the top.
• You will be asked to enter your registration number.
• You can see the beneficiary details state-wide after submitting your registration number.

Although the IAY beneficiary list is generated by the Gram Sabha as per the 2011 census details, you can opt to register yourself as a beneficiary, if you are eligible. Here are the steps to apply for the Indira Awas online :

• Visit the PMAY-G website: https://rhfms.nic.in/netiay/loginmaster.aspx .
• Fill in the necessary information as required.
• Fill in your Aadhaar number and click ‘Search.’
• Against your name, click ‘Select to Register.’
• Enter your details.
• Upload the consent form and affidavit, as applicable.
• Enter your bank account details.
• Enter your MGNREGA card number and, if applicable, your SBMG number.
• Indicate whether you wish to avail of a loan by selecting ‘Yes’ and enter the eligible loan amount.

IAY: Eligibility

Since its launch, the IAY scheme has changed eligibility criteria multiple times to fit the changing economic landscape. You are eligible to apply for the IAY scheme if you are:

• If you are homeless or have a kutcha home (based on the SECC data).
• If your household has no literate adult member of 25 years and above.
• If your household has no adult members aged 16 to 59 years.
• If your household has one or more specially-abled members and no other non-disabled adult members.
• If your household is female-headed with no adult male members aged between 16 to 59 years.
• If your household has no land and your sole source of income is daily labour.

IAY: Documents Required

To avail of the benefits of the scheme, you need the following documents:

• Filled application form.
• Aadhaar card for identification.
• Consent document authorising the concerned authorities to use your Aadhaar information for verification.
• Bank account details for direct benefit transfer.
• BPL Certificate.
• Affidavit declaration that the applicant or any of your family members do not own a pucca house in India.
• Job card registered under the MNREGA scheme.

IAY is a social welfare scheme aiming to provide housing for all and, thus, better living standards under hygienic conditions. If you are a rural Indian citizen living below the poverty line, you are eligible to apply for this scheme, now known as Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Gramin.Under the scheme, you get a grant directly in your bank account to construct or upgrade your house. This helps in transparency and easy implementation. However, the scheme's conditions, such as eligibility, inspection, process, etc., keep changing to adapt to the changing economic landscape.Therefore, if you are an eligible IAY aspirant, you should stay updated with the changes to maximise the benefits of this government initiative to provide housing for all.