HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, Jan 9: Union minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan on Thursday said that the government has decided to conduct a fresh survey in Assam to find out the people who left out in getting a house under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY).
Chauhan, who was in Guwahati today, took part in a program where he distributed houses under the PMAY scheme to 50,000 beneficiaries in the state.
“Prime Minister Modi gives immense importance in the development of the northeast. He took an aim to build at least 20 lakhs houses under PMAY initiative in this region. Today apart from distributing 50,000 houses, I have sanctioned another more than 3 lakh houses for Assam. These houses will be handed over within the next financial year,” he added.
The Union minister further stated that Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma raised his concern about the people who were left out from the list of Awas Yojona as the surveys were taken place earlier.
“I understand the concern of the Chief Minster and it has been decided to conduct another fresh survey for the PMAY. Actually families get bigger day to day and the requirement of fresh houses come up and therefore, we must carry out new surveys,” he said.
Chauhan also praised Sarma and said, “Himanta Biswa Sarma has been doing excellent work for the state.”
He further said that Assam has successfully implemented the Lakhpati Didi scheme here and the performance of the state is better than the expectation.
Earlier in the day, Chauhan visited Kamakhya temple with his wife and took blessings here. He went to Shillon to attend a function at ICAR research complex there.
Chauhan emphasised the need for developing crop varieties with longer shelf life, improved logistics, and strengthening the lab-to-land approach.
“ICAR must focus on increasing the shelf life of crops and ensuring they reach consumers in the best condition. The transition of science from the lab to the field must be faster to benefit farmers directly. Natural farming, innovative technologies, and the unique potential of crops like bamboo, honey, and mushrooms must be leveraged to uplift rural livelihoods,” he added.